a few definitely-JAPANESE moments

...this song was translated from Japanese into English by Ikumi-san and Akie-san (two awesome san-nen seii gals of mine) with me "supervising." No wonder Japanese signs, t-shirts, and various other English messages never make sense. ever! It`s practically impossible to translate Japanese exactly. But the results are rather humourous. The song`s called "Chiri" or, "Cherry".        Try to understand it if you dare! I don`t forget you Go wave road The sun`s birth sends dreams across yellow sand never go back each other tickled then Without fail, it will be a very busy future Wait for me Only say "I love you" I think I will be strong A little happy thing, a never broken hug My heart is spilling over with love I finished writing with my dirty hands I want to throw away this letter, I saw "I`m sleepy a little, I need cold water to wake me up" How? Fly in the sky, going past Only say "I love you" I think I will be strong Someday I want to meet you in this place again A lot of walking, but i never arrive Tears down my face Looks like a badman will destroy the flower petal floating on the wind, changes this song I don`t forget you Go wave road Without fail, it will be a very busy future Wait for me *Repeat* Clumsy but smart Someday i want to meet you in this place again the song in japanese is quite beautiful!

SPORTS DAY on my first Sunday at my Junior High School was quite the day. My entire school (750 kids) marched in a huge parade on the dirt field out back at an early start, as the parents trickled in to watch... One event involved 4-boys to a team, with all their shirts off. They hoisted one boy up on another`s shoulders, with the other two balancing him. When ready, about 10 teams charge ahead with a yell, and crash into the opposing teams in the middle of the field, trying to grab the different colour scarf off the other boy`s neck. Scratching, pushing, beating, they`ll do anything to win! lots of boys fell off, and yeah, lots of injuries ensue, but it makes it that much more entertaining! Another hilarious event was seeing the girls try to hunt down small candies in a tub full of flour with only their mouths. In a similar vein, they raced around the track on piggyback then tried to grab the plastic-covered sandwich off the hanging rope with only their mouths! whoever thought up these events was nuts.There was also a baton relay, 100 and 200 metre races, and jump rope with ten people to a team. As for me, I got quite the tan, met the friendliest students brave enough to talk to me, and even participated in the tug o` war, sensei`s against parents, (we won). Since it was so hot, the girls were dropping like flies, fainting and getting sunstroke. the nurse was working fulltime that day. My school has soccer, baseball, swimming, volleyball, badminton, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, running, basketball, table tennis, martial arts, and probably a few others i`m forgetting, all played at school each and every day. I've already joined a few teams, and I'm making use of free periods between class to play softball with the gym classes going on outside. Gotta fill the time somehow!

My first school ENKAI, or get-pissed and humiliate-yourself work party, was crazy fun. We basically feasted on platters of delicious food and drank ourselves silly on unlimited bottles of Asahi and sake. I was surrounded by forty very drunk, very loud, very silly sensei`s, many who came up to me to try out their English after they had drunk enough. They sure loosen up after a few beer! (& a few is all it takes). Some of the men even wrestled on the tatami mats with each other! I was invited up to the front of the room to give a lil introductory speech and to drink from a huge bowl filled with all the remaining beer on the tables. This is tradition! They poured a lil bit in, then i motioned for more (hey, i`m proud to be CANADIAN!) and they all ripped it up with laughter. Then I chugged back what was in the bowl and somehow made it back to my mat without falling. The NIJI KAI, or 2nd party, was too much fun as well. This is traditionally a smaller affair, and only ten teachers and my principal (kocho-sensei) came out. They gave us a shuttle bus ride to the tiny karaoke bar in Tosu (i felt like i was on a pubcrawl, with people on the bus yelling, hitting each other playfully, and trying to protect me from one very drunk man who kept professing his love for me) So i went with it, sang `Like a Virgin` & drank a number of Whiskey and Coke`s. They pulled me up to dance, and i boogyed with my new teachers. I didn't even have to pay (usually a 5,000 yen affair) Wow, i think i like this life!

MORE FREE GORGING Dust and I managed to find ourselves at a Lions` Club Party. yes, they have a japanese version. This Dr. we know invited us, and it was quite a to-do affair. They had everything from jumbo prawns wrapped in bacon to giant German sausages to steak to raw fish (sashimi) on the table. Beers, sake, and white wine were a plenty and the dessert was scrumptious. Dr. Akiyoshi is an amateur magician, so Dust and I helped him set up his magic show an hour before the party started. He had everything from cardboard cutouts of naked women to jelly-filled balloonw. It was hilarious. After that, the fun continued with KARAOKE, with my friend Mariko, D, and I making fools of ourselves singing "Take Me Home" on stage while drunk men in suits waved at us from the crowd. We ended up taking home an insane amount of presents. I don`t know. It`s japan. Some of our random gifts: a coffee maker, two sets of nylons, an apron, top of the line spaghetti sauce, a nice towel, and the rest of the dessert off the tables.                   I love enkais!!!

HUMOUROUS MOMENTS *Seeing the local firemen practice on the City Hall field late at night with floodlights on. They scream hai hai hai hai in full gear as they run around, big hose in hand, and do everything in military-like unision. But really, they`re just teddy bears, waving a hello to me as I stroll by and take pictures like the obvious gaijin girl I know I am. Their fire trucks are about the size of a small pick-up truck. too cute. *Getting a glimpse of a man in a full business suit, complete with tie, skateboarding home from work. *Having one of my grade 9 girls say "she`s lot of sexual harassment!" while pointing to her friend and slapping my ass. *Getting an e-mail on my cell phone (keitai) from a Grade 8 girl on the subject of her birthday: "it can not eat the cake. It grows fat. What to say to tomorrow`s lunchtime offering? The enjoyment." Deciphering my students` English is work in itself :) *my boy students randomly yelling out "I love you rinji!" and "you!?very cute cute!" around every corner and my tiny Grade 7 girls sticking their lil curious hands in my school bag after class to see what Canadiana they can find. They usually score. Ahh, the joys of teaching!

Japan is a nation based on CONVENIENCE, whether that means vending machines on every corner full of minicans of coke, bottles of cold green tea, or cans of asahi beer bigger than your head, or 7-11`s and Family Mart`s just behind all the vending machines to satisfy every desire. These 24 hr convenies also useful for: paying your phone bills, faxing, or asking directions when you don`t know where the heck you are. You can find blueberry cheesecake wrapped in plastic,  burritos, yogurt drinks, and my favorite, onigiri rice balls, all for cheap - though i have a feeling my money is being sucked away right out from under me. but so tasty!

* The Japanese are great at avoiding letting you down. I`m learning to do as they do and; look busy at work when i`m not, look genki when i`m tired, smile big when i`m missing home and say "sumimasen, gomen nasai" (excuse me, i`m sorry),throw in heaps of onegai shimasu (please) to humble myself, and finish with a great "arigato gozaimasu" for thanks. Others include saying "itadakimasu" before eating, "gochiso sama deshita" aftewards, and making sure you don`t take even a lil sip of your beer or sake before yelling "kanpai!!!" with everyone to cheer.