navigating nihon
| Navigating Nihon #3 - The bird, lingo and a few words on geography and modernization
|
8.27.2002 |
Hello Everyone!
Over the last week I have ceased to be amazed, perplexed and astounded by Japan and its people! The volleyball tournament last weekend was no exception. As we (Mikame Town Team B! ?Eno ranking I hope!) were warming up for our first game, a man who must have been at least 80 years old came running onto the courts to gawk at me! This is not a new thing for me in rural Japan so I did my best to politely acknowledge him while trying to concentrate on the job at hand. As the game started, this man remained on the court somewhat mesmerized by my appearance at which point everyone on my team (me included) began to fall over in fits of laughter! Finally, he decided he had gotten a good enough look at me and proceeded to the side lines!
As I mentioned last week, I was attacked by a centipede while sleeping on my futon. I am happy to report that I am totally fine but the BOE (Board of Edu) took it much more seriously and on Monday morning we went bed shopping! Needless to say, my supervisors spend a lot of time worrying about me and making sure that I am comfortable. I just think I`m spoilt! Anyways, the bed is very comfortable and I have yet to see another mokade (pronounced MOO-KA-DEH Japanese for centipede) in my bedroom!
From last Tuesday through Saturday I participated in an intensive Japanese class in Uwa, one of the neighbouring towns. The class was a lot of fun and a great chance to meet more of the surrounding JETs. Out teacher, Tamaka-Sensei was wonderful and very animated! On Thursday she was teaching us the words for family members (ie mother, father etc). As it turns out, these same words are used to describe one`s fingers. Your thumb is called your father finger, index is your mother finger etc?EAs Tamaka-Sensei was teaching this, she was lifting the corresponding finger with each explanation. As you might have already guessed, as she got to her brother finger?E(ie middle finger) she flipped the bird to the entire class, we couldn`t help but fall off our seats laughing! It was priceless and the worse thing is that no matter how many different ways we tried to explain the meaning she kept on doing it! This was mainly because each time we laughed more and more so she continued to give us the middle finger! I am still unsure if she grasped the meaning of her actions ?Eas she waved us goodbye with her middle fingers on the last day of class! So much for positive internationalization!
The JETs that live in the surrounding towns are mainly from the commonwealth countries. This is quite strange because over half of the total participants on the program are American. I am quite happy to be surrounded by people from so many different countries ?Ethe problem is that I can barely understand some of the country-specific lingo that they all use! A few of the words I know from my Ausie roommate at McGill and I know a bit from mom and dad (Brits) but I`m always asking for translations! Turns out I`m not only learning Japanese?E
If anyone has any good Canadian?Eterms, please pass them on to me as I feel inadequate in the `cool words?Edepartment! I`ll have to keep a running list of these words and pass them on to you all! In term of comedic value, this is the best one I have heard yet (by a Californian and said with a completely serious and straight face!): Lets make like Tom and cruise!?ENo joke!
For all of you geographers reading, this part is for you! I have been getting the funniest questions from all of you so here is the (my) geographic interpretation of Mikame and it`s people so far!
Population: 9 200
Main Industry: Mikan farming (oranges) in the winter, fishing in the summer, some logging mills nearby (more on logging later).
Demographics: There are 7 schools (5 elementary, 1 JHS and 1 HS). There are a lot of younger students and almost all of them go on to HS (optional in Japan to go to school after the age of 16). After HS, some leave to go to university (don`t know numbers) and the rest stay behind and work on the family business. Most people are employed in Mikame industry or in one of the nearby towns. It seems that many of the younger, post HS crowd does leave Mikame in search of something more exciting. It also appears that a large number of retired or elderly people return to there home town to live out their last years ?EMikame is no exception.
Climate: I have never been so hot in my life! The average since I have been here has been around 34 degrees with a lot of humidity. Though there was a cool spell last week due to a nearby typhoon. It apparently only goes down to 10 degrees in the winter with maybe 2 or 3 snowfalls all season.
Vegetation: The plants here are quite amazing and there is an interesting mix! There are more tropical things like ferns and palm trees (or some relative there of) and there are also Japanese maples as well as coniferous species. I am curious to see what will happen to the more tropical varieties when the winter comes?
I have been told that Mikame is quite a poor town but I have yet to see any evidence of that! The SeaFest must have cost the town quite a bit ?Eespecially with the fantastic fire works and cash prizes for all of the events. The town centre is quite small, with one main shopping arcade which is similar to a covered over strip mall. Most of the businesses are small and family run except for 2 grocery stores and a hardware shop.
I must say that there is one thing here in Japan that is driving me around the bend?Epackaging! There is sooo much of it! Everything is double or triple wrapped and you are also given a bag to take it home in! Even worse is the way that this waste is disposed of. Each week there are two garbage collections ?Eburnable and non-burnable waste. Burnable is anything paper or food scraps etc ?Egenerally what we consider compost-able. Non-burnable is all of the plastic packaging, Styrofoam, bags etc. From what I have heard, both are burned but the later is burned in a different manner ?Enot good. Anyways, I`ll have to look into that because I have just heard it 2nd hand?E
In stark contrast to all of this waste, there are some things in Japan that are soo modern and efficient! I was on an escalator that started and stopped on its own accord. The cars are much smaller and better on gas and emissions (though this is in part a factor of the very very narrow roads?E). Everything here is convenience based, though at times I see it as wasteful ?Econvenient but bad.
This being said, Japan is a very interesting mix of modernization and Asia. Some things are just like home and others are not at all ?Eto be expected but at the same time it is quite something else to see. For example, near where I live there are a lot of tunnels that one must drive through and turn on their lights. If you leave your lights on during the day after having driven through one of these tunnels someone will inevitably flash their lights to remind you to turn yours off. This is the same country that produces dish dryers?Ebecause drip drying is not good enough?EJ This all being said, I am learning so much just be being here!
This weekend there is a mud soccer tournament in a town about 1 hr south of here. It is quite famous and should be a lot of fun. I am unsure as to how I am going to get there because, as I learned yesterday the bridge at the end of my street will be undergoing construction ?Eie. I am stranded! That road is the only way out of town and I there is nowhere for me to park on the other side! Haahaaa this is going to be an interesting weekend! I think I`ll walk to the other side of the construction and have someone pick me up! I`ll let you know how it works out!
The weekend after next there is a camping trip to the Nametoko Gorge, which is famous for itsscenery and monkeys! I`m sure I`ll have lots to tell about that!
Better be off! Hope that you are all well!
Much love,
Emma
emma found her way @ 10:20 a.m.
Over the last week I have ceased to be amazed, perplexed and astounded by Japan and its people! The volleyball tournament last weekend was no exception. As we (Mikame Town Team B! ?Eno ranking I hope!) were warming up for our first game, a man who must have been at least 80 years old came running onto the courts to gawk at me! This is not a new thing for me in rural Japan so I did my best to politely acknowledge him while trying to concentrate on the job at hand. As the game started, this man remained on the court somewhat mesmerized by my appearance at which point everyone on my team (me included) began to fall over in fits of laughter! Finally, he decided he had gotten a good enough look at me and proceeded to the side lines!
As I mentioned last week, I was attacked by a centipede while sleeping on my futon. I am happy to report that I am totally fine but the BOE (Board of Edu) took it much more seriously and on Monday morning we went bed shopping! Needless to say, my supervisors spend a lot of time worrying about me and making sure that I am comfortable. I just think I`m spoilt! Anyways, the bed is very comfortable and I have yet to see another mokade (pronounced MOO-KA-DEH Japanese for centipede) in my bedroom!
From last Tuesday through Saturday I participated in an intensive Japanese class in Uwa, one of the neighbouring towns. The class was a lot of fun and a great chance to meet more of the surrounding JETs. Out teacher, Tamaka-Sensei was wonderful and very animated! On Thursday she was teaching us the words for family members (ie mother, father etc). As it turns out, these same words are used to describe one`s fingers. Your thumb is called your father finger, index is your mother finger etc?EAs Tamaka-Sensei was teaching this, she was lifting the corresponding finger with each explanation. As you might have already guessed, as she got to her brother finger?E(ie middle finger) she flipped the bird to the entire class, we couldn`t help but fall off our seats laughing! It was priceless and the worse thing is that no matter how many different ways we tried to explain the meaning she kept on doing it! This was mainly because each time we laughed more and more so she continued to give us the middle finger! I am still unsure if she grasped the meaning of her actions ?Eas she waved us goodbye with her middle fingers on the last day of class! So much for positive internationalization!
The JETs that live in the surrounding towns are mainly from the commonwealth countries. This is quite strange because over half of the total participants on the program are American. I am quite happy to be surrounded by people from so many different countries ?Ethe problem is that I can barely understand some of the country-specific lingo that they all use! A few of the words I know from my Ausie roommate at McGill and I know a bit from mom and dad (Brits) but I`m always asking for translations! Turns out I`m not only learning Japanese?E
If anyone has any good Canadian?Eterms, please pass them on to me as I feel inadequate in the `cool words?Edepartment! I`ll have to keep a running list of these words and pass them on to you all! In term of comedic value, this is the best one I have heard yet (by a Californian and said with a completely serious and straight face!): Lets make like Tom and cruise!?ENo joke!
For all of you geographers reading, this part is for you! I have been getting the funniest questions from all of you so here is the (my) geographic interpretation of Mikame and it`s people so far!
Population: 9 200
Main Industry: Mikan farming (oranges) in the winter, fishing in the summer, some logging mills nearby (more on logging later).
Demographics: There are 7 schools (5 elementary, 1 JHS and 1 HS). There are a lot of younger students and almost all of them go on to HS (optional in Japan to go to school after the age of 16). After HS, some leave to go to university (don`t know numbers) and the rest stay behind and work on the family business. Most people are employed in Mikame industry or in one of the nearby towns. It seems that many of the younger, post HS crowd does leave Mikame in search of something more exciting. It also appears that a large number of retired or elderly people return to there home town to live out their last years ?EMikame is no exception.
Climate: I have never been so hot in my life! The average since I have been here has been around 34 degrees with a lot of humidity. Though there was a cool spell last week due to a nearby typhoon. It apparently only goes down to 10 degrees in the winter with maybe 2 or 3 snowfalls all season.
Vegetation: The plants here are quite amazing and there is an interesting mix! There are more tropical things like ferns and palm trees (or some relative there of) and there are also Japanese maples as well as coniferous species. I am curious to see what will happen to the more tropical varieties when the winter comes?
I have been told that Mikame is quite a poor town but I have yet to see any evidence of that! The SeaFest must have cost the town quite a bit ?Eespecially with the fantastic fire works and cash prizes for all of the events. The town centre is quite small, with one main shopping arcade which is similar to a covered over strip mall. Most of the businesses are small and family run except for 2 grocery stores and a hardware shop.
I must say that there is one thing here in Japan that is driving me around the bend?Epackaging! There is sooo much of it! Everything is double or triple wrapped and you are also given a bag to take it home in! Even worse is the way that this waste is disposed of. Each week there are two garbage collections ?Eburnable and non-burnable waste. Burnable is anything paper or food scraps etc ?Egenerally what we consider compost-able. Non-burnable is all of the plastic packaging, Styrofoam, bags etc. From what I have heard, both are burned but the later is burned in a different manner ?Enot good. Anyways, I`ll have to look into that because I have just heard it 2nd hand?E
In stark contrast to all of this waste, there are some things in Japan that are soo modern and efficient! I was on an escalator that started and stopped on its own accord. The cars are much smaller and better on gas and emissions (though this is in part a factor of the very very narrow roads?E). Everything here is convenience based, though at times I see it as wasteful ?Econvenient but bad.
This being said, Japan is a very interesting mix of modernization and Asia. Some things are just like home and others are not at all ?Eto be expected but at the same time it is quite something else to see. For example, near where I live there are a lot of tunnels that one must drive through and turn on their lights. If you leave your lights on during the day after having driven through one of these tunnels someone will inevitably flash their lights to remind you to turn yours off. This is the same country that produces dish dryers?Ebecause drip drying is not good enough?EJ This all being said, I am learning so much just be being here!
This weekend there is a mud soccer tournament in a town about 1 hr south of here. It is quite famous and should be a lot of fun. I am unsure as to how I am going to get there because, as I learned yesterday the bridge at the end of my street will be undergoing construction ?Eie. I am stranded! That road is the only way out of town and I there is nowhere for me to park on the other side! Haahaaa this is going to be an interesting weekend! I think I`ll walk to the other side of the construction and have someone pick me up! I`ll let you know how it works out!
The weekend after next there is a camping trip to the Nametoko Gorge, which is famous for itsscenery and monkeys! I`m sure I`ll have lots to tell about that!
Better be off! Hope that you are all well!
Much love,
Emma
emma found her way @ 10:20 a.m.
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