HIP HOP HOORAY! Part 1

I came back from visiting Samoa last month. I attended a high school friend's wedding and conducted an unofficial feasibility study. I still don't have enough info to decide whether I can live at home again, probably because I will always be in a love-hate relationship with the place of my birth.

While checking in at Honolulu airport, I saw some relatives of a good friend as well as my first cousin and his son. Chatting with them was nice, but being around all those other poly eyeballs made me feel a little anxious. The counter clerk gasped at my luggage. "That's all you're checking in?" she remarked with a look of disbelief. "Yup," I replied. She called her coworkers over to look at two pieces that looked like handbags amongst the assortment of suitcases and taped up coolers bound for Pago Pago International Airport. "So small," she whispered. "I'm only visiting, not staying," I explained, laughing with relief.

"Let's get out of here," I half begged my sister who had already introduced me to two more frielatives in the short walk from check in to gate security. We went to have one last meal at a nearby restaurant. L&L is never a bad choice. The portions were though! My stomach was shocked at the size of the mini! I immediately considered restroom opportunities over the next few hours before deciding it was safe to eat all of the chicken katsu plate. It was fantastic! I rarely eat meat in Japan because it's just too expensive to me. She dropped me off back at the entrance for gates and I got through all the checkpoints without a problem, but then there was the departure gate line.

I finally get to my row and there's a woman already settled in her aisle seat. No problem. I tell her I'm inside and she moves. No problem. I'm getting my seat belt on and I realize something is missing. Pillow? Nope, got that here. Blanket? Ah, it's under here. WTF? She done pushed my armrest up....like ALL THE WAY UP....in between our seats. The only part visible was the headset jack. Directly beneath that was HER ARM laid across the seat divider. And below that was HER LEFT HIP. Now looking at that hip as it touched mine made me feel reallllly anxious. "But Margaret, it's only a hip!" you say. NO people. This was not just a hip. It was part of what seemed like a HIP-PO to me after being in Japan for so long. I was trying to scoot all the way to the window so as not to interrupt this hip that was seated first....even before she was probably.

In all honesty, I would've cared less about the hip bonding had she just left my armrest down. I did what I could not to interrupt her and I didn't pull the armrest down or ask her to move. I just reclined my seat and pushed my fingers between the space on my side to get channels and volume changed. Five hours and no bathroom break later, I made it. Down the rickety deplaning staircase, into the humid hugs of Samoa air, and toward the entrance. It looked, smelled, and sounded exactly the same. We're in four immigration lines but people are just walking through the checkpoint. Not everyone, but like 5 or 6 people straight walked past everyone included the Federally funded Immigration Officer. Weird.

Everyone stood around the single luggage claim area-all 100 feet of conveyor belt-to get their bags. I still don't get how all the Asians in Samoa have like 8 large pieces of luggage before the belt gets moving. Weird. I pray for my bags to come quickly and roll both pieces to the inspection desk. Then I see him. A dude I used to make out with in high school---but he is like darker, older, and 200 pounds heavier. I shiver and my skin crawls just a little. He snickers at me and after I read his name tag, I say "Hello. How are you?" He immediately plays dumb while his hands are feeling up my electronic device wires. "Uh, what's your name?" (He is holding my passport) "It's Margaret." "Oi!" I do the obligatory kiss on the (sweaty) cheek and wait for him to zip up my two handbags before entering......the ABYSS!


TBC

Tetsuya's Coming to Charlotte!

Lately, Tetsuya has been bombarding me with weird questions about Charlotte. I usually end up getting angry because he speaks in such general terms whenever he asks cultural things. I mean, this kind of wording could get you killed in the US.

Things like:
"So, in America, every people has many guns?"
"American people likes war, right?"
"Shah-lotte is not famous. What is Sha-lotte famous somesing?"
"You don't know famous American sport team in Sha-lotte?"
"So Shah-lotte is white people only? Looks like white and black people only."
"How far is Wasington DC? We go to DC or New York City?"
"Everyday, I'm sinking about Nosu Carulaina."
"Are you ready?" - For what? "Nosu Carulaina." - That's in like two weeks. "It's coming soon."
"I'm so exciting for September 17. I can't wait."

Nutshell

I follow a few blogs and I am really amazed at the amount of writing that people are able to pump out. I have decided that I either need a time management coach, or I'm not a very good writer since my entries take so long to get the final "post" click. I love to talk and talk and talk in person, but since blogging, I have realized that I should pay closer attention to what I let come out of my mouth.

Anyway, here's my nutshell life cracked open for your convenience.

1) Sister and niece came for ten days. I never spent so much money, ate so much food, or saw so many cool parts of Osaka in such a short amount of time. Oh, and PS, me in Geisha wear reminds me of men in drag in Chinatown Hawaii circa 1992.
2) My toddler class is getting much better at toilet training, believe it or not. Of course, some days require gloves, a tough stomach, and lots of wipes, but all in all, it ain't that bad.
3) My Saturday class of kids is still a mystery to me, but they will see, oh yes, they will see what happens when I figure it all out. (insert evil laugh)
4) I took on Sunday work. See #1 sentence two for a partial explanation.
5) Kim Chee Bokkumbap is something I can cook by myself.
6) Don't EVER EVER EVER buy, rent, or watch this movie. EVER.
7) If you have 165 minutes, rent this movie Like Leonardo, the more I watch Nicole, I dig her.
8) TETSUYA'S THOUGHTS - You soooo love me. Yes, you soooo love me. Really? How do you know? Because you cook for me and is many kisses and hugs. So I know.

That's all for now. Enjoy the pictures, and if you need a little piece of poprocks-in-your-mouth artistic goodness, click here.

Golden Week

Spring comes, allergies flare, the cherry blossoms bloom and fade, and then Golden Week hits you right when you need a break from all the transitional season madness! This awesome mega holiday came just in time for me, too! Oops! It finished with the same speed, too!

I was able to get a lot of personal things done, but you know how it is for us list-makers. When are you really ever "done"? (I don't even have children, hobbies, or athletic interests as an excuse to NOT get my list items crossed off.) Oh well. That's why it's called a holiday, right? Whether or not anything productive gets done shouldn't be important.

Since I have been back to work, our class enrollment has been growing. We have 23 students in all, 19 being the most at one time, three days a week. We may just hit the maximum for all five days by summer. My partners are terrific and we are slowly but surely getting the toddlers on a routine. Thirteen of our students have been in the school for a year already, but we have 10 brand new students without prior daycare experience. Several of the new kids are already speaking Japanese. This means that in addition to detachment anxiety, we have to deal with realized language barriers. I predict that the ear-piercing, shriek-type crying won't subside until July or August when we start having pool play time.

I have made peace with my craft anxiety. I decided that I just don't have the energy to lament my lack of Japanese-style paper engineering prowess. (Yes, there is such a thing. I have been researching it for the last few weeks.) The craft magazine that is kept in the staff room has (imho) craft ideas that look like a cross between origami, kirigami, and martha stewart projects...and they're all eco-friendly. I basically work with craft Macgyvers whose entire lives have been immersed in art thousands of years old, right down to the food their mothers first sent them to school with: the almighty bento!

Now how's an island girl who brown paper bagged it (with a flip top can drink wrapped in foil--thanks mom) to every field trip gonna compete with that? I'll tell you the answer: I'm not. But at the same time, I find it hard to focus on Circle Time (my main responsibility...teaching time). I wing it most days, but I want to really learn and plan better execution and at the end of the day, I somehow feel this means making (or buying) more gadgets...like finger puppets, or puzzles. For example, someone hand made 9 mailboxes as a shape matching game. The kids must "mail" the correct shape into its mailbox. Cool, huh?

NOT cool. Someone MADE this. They had to cut 9 kleenex boxes, wrap them all with red construction paper, draw the Japan Post emblem on each box and cut a mail slot, cut/color/tape our curriculum approved shapes onto each mailbox, then tape each box with clear tape to make it last. Another more recent example: my partner made 10 flowers to teach colors--each flower is a different color (okay) and shape (what??). Each flower has 4 pieces (flower, stem, leaves) she cut individually. Each flower has a word label. Each flower is laminated. One more for ya: My other partner helped create jumping steps. These are 16x16x4 boxes stuffed with paper, covered and decorated with numbers, letters, pictures, etc all hand cut/colored. She made 5 of these steps in less than 2 hours total.

Anyway, as I work on strengthening my craft speed and stamina, I will post pictures of the magic that is my classroom because of my awesome partners so you can actually see what motivates me everyday. These are wonderful skills to pick up, though. And crafting is a great excuse to avoid studying Japanese. Hope all is well with you in your neck of the woods.

kids, weddings, and spring fever

Today I'm posting pictures so you can see firsthand what I've been up to. Due to popular demand, the "Ask Tet" section will be entered in full.

LANGUAGE BARRIER OR CULTURAL BRIDGE? Ask Tet

What do you think about hosting my sister and niece in Japan in June?
Esther come? Exciting so if she come Japan is maybe is now image, and come image is different. Japanese image is Cherry Blossom, sushi, samurai, tempura, but come, image is different. Is a building, city. And she know Osaka.

What do you mean?
Osaka is a city. So foreigner people image of Japan is ninja, I don't know...anime. Truth is, I think almost same American. So when I was 19, I went to America. I went California. So my image America is rock music, hip hop music, car, is a Hollywood movie. Inside is very cool, do you understand? So I watch American movie and everybody is so cool, so I think cool. So I went to America and everybody is same Japan. Everybody is same. Usually is working people, nothing famous people is same Japan. So when I'm culture shock....Esther and Estee maybe is culture shock.

Why?
So usually is culture shock is if I go to different culture, image difference. But this culture shock, come inside to Japan and it's same America. McDonald's, eating, city, same. Okay, finish? Okay, see you.

LESSON: Tetsuya believes people will be shocked to discover that Japan is not as different from America as they think. Movies and media perpetuate stereotypes, but cities are generally the same in his opinion. Margaret thinks he should live in Vailoa, Makaha, DC, Charlotte, and Orlando before making any firm decisions about culture shock.

phonemes and sight words and crafts, oh my!

Okay, so this blog will be dedicated to what I said it would be at the outset--my misadventures in English teaching in Japan.

TEACHING HIGHLIGHT
The Japanese school year ends in March so on Wednesday, my class had a graduation party. Teachers were presented with a flowers and a photo album of personalized scrap book pages from parents and children. I loved the album! It was AWESOME! Yes, I cried even though I've only been with these kids for three months.

POSITIVE
The company I work for has a great system and curriculum and they are growing rapidly. Each class has a Native English teacher and Japanese teacher. Everyone speaks English to the children but Japanese staff communicate with parents (most of whom do not speak English). Japanese staff are experienced, certified, ECE teachers. They are also bilingual (albeit their proficiency levels differ). This school is one of the top three as far as salary but an even bigger perks is all the paid vacation. I get weekends, national holidays, and school year breaks off. Work hours are Monday - Friday 9:30-6:00 (with one unpaid lunch hour). This affords me a normal life as opposed to most English conversation schools (eikaiwa) that keep some holiday, evening, weekend, and varying shift hours.

DRAMA
While I was processing visa paperwork in November, another Native English speaker was given the position I was offered and she basically was not up to par. She was frequently ill and thus unable to form a strong relationship with her Japanese partner or the parents. I returned and trained under them to eventually take over. Trying to learn from people with a strained relationship sucked. Things experienced included lying, manipulating, backbiting, pity parties. Unbelievable. I had to participate in owner-parent meetings, extra parent observation days, and was somehow supposed to win these angry mothers over with my non-Japanese communication. No one quit so I guess I won. To date, I have only worked 90 days and had one formal training session. Everything I have been doing has been based on watching other teachers (4 days worth) and personal trial and error. Needless to say, the hugs and giggles from the toddlers have kept me sane.

PROFESSIONAL
As I teach, I think a lot about language development, toddler development, child communication and my own Japanese study (or lack thereof), but most of all I think about my mom. Because Japan is still basically a proponent of language immersion, I wonder how much more could be accomplished with a completely bilingual approach. I also find myself being a little too skeptical. This is throwback from my library days. Nepotism, office politics, micromanagement, racial discrimination...I need to physically leave the building and regroup when I find myself obsessing over these incidents. I don't know why I am always shocked to discover that these things happen, even in Japan. It's all about cultural sensitivity and relaxing, but you know how hard that is for me!

ASSESSMENT
I won't make an assessment until I am closer to my one year mark. I will be teaching the same children as they move to the next level, but my Japanese partner is changing job positions. My new partner taught this level last year, but her Native partner was bilingual (they communicated only in Japanese at work) so I worry about the change for her. I am learning a lot about my communication style and what is really important to communicate in any given situation.

IMPROVEMENT AREAS
Crafting with rudimenatry tools: construction paper, a scissors, tape (scotch and packing width...oooOOooohhh!), glue stick, fabric, pens....oh, and my laminator (YAH!)
Crafting style: more layers and microscopic details
Crafting speed: three displays or games per day
Crafting safety: fighting the urge to stab my neck with blunt scissors whilst laminating my lips.

LANGUAGE BARRIER OR CULTURAL BRIDGE? Ask Tet.
What do you think about my job?
Your job is far...far....far....so far...far. Yah. For example, if I finish work early 630, I am home at 7, but you? You don't get home soon. Sorry, I don't know about your job, but I worry about you because you have a stress. So you can't speak Japanese. Your company companions speak only Japanese, so you are lonely, so you have a stress. So I worry about you. But you likes kids. And kids likes Margaret. So it's better. Right?
How do you know kids like me?
Because you are talking about (-imitating my imitations of the children - ) "Margaret, Margaret!" so you are exciting. And your job is big money. So Margaret is rich. Every month, post office sending nijusanman (230,000) yen and you pay water and electric and sometimes is go to club, so you are rich. Yah, difference me.
ME: ---Yes, but I have to wipe poop every day. --
Tet: silence
Do you think I should quit my job?
If you is quick your job, who is pay your sub-prime loan? Me? If I must pay your sub-prime loan, I can only pay ichiman (10,000) one month. How many years finish? 100 years? 200 years?
Do you think I should open an English school of my own?
If you have many customer, it's okay. But if you have customer zero, it's dangerous because you have many deposit (debts). So if you will do school, rental room, is a something, I think you finish deposit--sub-prime loan, credit card loan, home loan, you have many. I don't know your deposit.
Lesson: Relax, transfer to a closer job location, pay off your debts before starting up a business and have a strong marketing plan. PS You drink too much.

aging gracefully, being an adult, and working with kids...WTF?

MIND - So as I think about my 35th birthday and the "goals" I have created (or rather burdened myself with) regarding that date, I find myself trying to decipher adulthood.

Am I still in the young adult phase because I love hip hop? No, seriously, hear me out. I was in college when hip hop exploded on the scene, and it hasn't really left the night club play list...so as I go out and find younger friends in Japan, inevitably we drink the night away to hip hop. There is something very surreal about 20-somethings singing to Biggie and Mary. Of course, I use my usual, "I had pubes/permanent teeth/was potty trained when you were just born" line a lot here in Japan. Never mind that these kids probably know more hip hop history than I do!

Is it because I'm not married and/or a mother? Quite possibly. I always tell my sisters that unlike them, I have no living, breathing person reminding me of the passage of time or lifelong responsibilities of parenthood AKA adulthood. Even when I had dogs (which btw, I VERY STRONGLY do not think of as children/babies/people), those turds never grew/aged/or got potty trained, so we were in this weird time warp together. lol.

Maybe it's because I'm the middle child in my family. I've been the youngest (to two older sisters) and oldest (to two younger siblings) and aunty (to six awesome kids) all at the same time. The names used to taunt me as a youth have paid off since. I am Forever the Queen of the Milk (prep chef), Queen of the Loft (lone traveler), and Rachel's/Tee's sister (personal assistant/party pal extra-whore-dinaire).

At the end of the day, my mother's words ring true, as they almost always do with me. "Marge, you are on your own journey and the time for you to do certain things will come." She usually segues into spiritual reminders after this kind of intro...so I will "segue" into the body portion of my blog. :)

BODY - HELP! My neck is wrinkling! This is the real reason 35 is stirring up such a rebellion! I mean, heck, I've been hiding the "snake" since college so I have come to accept this genetic curse (okay, okay, BC pills and nicotine have not helped). I can wear pants, suntan, put make-up on it if I really care. As for the saggy boobs, there are some awesome bras with the latest and greatest technology to help remedy that. I can even wear body stockings or special tops to camouflage the little gut. But what, now I gotta start wearing scarves? baubled necklaces? turtlenecks? COME ON! I should just be grateful for the healthy body, right? Okay, but if you have any secrets for neck wrinkles, let me know!

SPIRIT - Feeling like a breakthrough is coming on. Must be Spring Fever.

LANGUAGE BARRIER OR CULTURAL BRIDGE? Ask Tet.
(My Valentine's Day Chocolate....usually women give chocolate to men on Feb 14 and men reciprocate on Mar 14 "White Day")

What do you think about marriage?

I don't know, I never marriage. Marriage equal human people can't live alone. So human usually is independent and makes family. And child have a grandchild. Grandchild want grand grandchild. This is history. This is human's instinct, I think. right? So same eating, same sex, same sleeping. So same marriage. You will marriage me future. (I get this stressed look on my face.) Don't (he copies my expression). I don't like your deep thinking. It's not good. Baby? Why you write this? My English isn't good enough. So your family is reading? Sh!t. This is a little inside joking. So please writing PS.

PS Today we talk about instinct because today's Margaret super drunk. Wake up, eating too much, and s*x too much, and sleeping too much. And wake up, eating. It was...dangerous.

alcohol balls, japanese hay fever, and office politics.

MIND - My friend just returned from Australia and as I was walking her to the station after a great dinner, two drunk men approached us and started talking away in Japanese sprinkled with English. Of course, we were "beautiful." Never mind I was wearing my work outfit which makes me look like a burglar. Hey, it's still cold here! They asked general introductory questions, "Why are you come here to Japan?" "Where are you from?" "Do you know Osaka #1 food?" And they invited us to a bar I have seen many times on my way home. My friend looked scared and said she had to go home, but if she was willing, I would've shot the shit with them for sure! Heck, my single word Japanese would be harder for them to decipher probably. To alcohol balls---helping people overcome fears and build friendships.

BODY - Japanese hay fever symptoms include a night time cough, yellow/green phlegm, and sore throat. I went back to my doctor who had a sub doctor filling in and I was told (after much deliberation and quizzical looks) that I had "phlegmingitis." Yah, that's what I said. Maybe he meant laryngitis? I don't know, but hey, he was giving me drugs. A company employee happened to be in the receiving room and was recruited by the nurse to explain my prescription med dosages. Two medications were for symptoms I specifically said I didn't have. I was told it was a "set" so I couldn't refuse part of it. Was I at McDonald's?

Tetsuya explained it this way. "It's Japanese style. You don't have now, but maybe later, yes, you having headache and fever. So you take all, okay?" A bilingual coworker of mine graciously shared her insurance covered meds for allergies (we have been having parallel illnesses for the past three weeks). Meanwhile I will start wearing the mask and if I feel adventurous, I might even spring for the plug/mask "set".

SPIRIT - As I was cutting the one hundredth and something magnet for a craft idea gone wrong, I started brooding over things that I didn't like. It's so amazing how quickly thoughts start a revolution up in your head while crafting. Anyway, I had a flashback of my library days and every time that comes up, I have to go through a mental process of literally bringing myself down from that negativity. I had to 1) let myself be angry for a little while 2) accept the situation that is and 3) drive myself to use my time more wisely so that I don't obsess over the work part of my life. Easier said than done, right? It's funny how much thicker the manual of "unwritten" policies is than the real policy manual. I need to do something independently.

LANGUAGE BARRIER OR CULTURAL BRIDGE?

ASK TET: What do you think about the state of the global economy right now?

Before, I think, my image America is working hard people is get more big money. Yah. Then recession. Now I know only high ranking peoples have many moneys. So, bull$hit America. Same Japan. After second war, Japan thinking is America is best. But GHQ education is loser thinking. So America is strong, but Japan government is like child. Politician say "Mmm, I don't know this way or this way." So no change. But America is fast! Obama is "Don, Don, Don" is change. Yah. And I vote for Obama too because you don't know Fedex location. (He took me to mail my absentee ballot.)

What do you think about foreigners who live in Japan?

My thinking is good things. Japanese basement (foundation) is only Japanese thinking. America long time ago is Black, White, Europa, I don't know. But now, America is many: Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, many cultures. America is mix. So thinking is many cultures. Foreign people in Japan is good because my thinking is....(hand gestures for expanding). But my thinking is different.

chills, nature, and a simple prayer

MIND - I had the chills on Wednesday night. I came home and went straight to bed after taking some acetaminophen and allergy medicine. On Thursday, the same thing happened. Tetsuya got me some energy drinks (here in Japan, they are tiny and more like health boosts as opposed to Red Bull types). I struggled with the chills all day, but figured just one more day, and I can rest. Well, even though I know my body is aging (and it does so quickly after 30!) I told myself I could do it. What a mistake. I was dizzy, weak from not eating, and still having the chills. The commute seemed to take forever, and I was actually sleeping on the subway! I got to work and at a co-worker's request, checked my temperature. 39 degrees! (102.2). I made arrangements and left to see a doctor.

The doctor's office is near my apartment, but again, I was moving in a slow-motion daze. It took an hour to see him, but I found out that 1) I didn't have influenza 2) He had vaccinations on hand 3) He had drugs and 4) he would be done with it all in 30 minutes. The bad news was I didn't have enough cash on me. Strange thing about this technological powerhouse of a country---checks/credit cards are the exception. Cash is the norm. This was amplified by a conversation I had with an adult student about how shocked they were that foreign teachers employed by a company that went under had absolutely no money. Japanese are big on spending, but they are equally serious savers. They spend what they have and put money away for rainy days.

Even more strange, when I asked where an ATM was to get the difference, he said, "Oh, just come by tomorrow or the next day. I will just take 5000 yen today, okay?" What a throwback! Cash and the honor system! It's a way of life here. So, as I continually plug away at the credit card gorilla bills on my back, I remember that living sensibly can really help me reach my goal. As for the fever, prescription drugs did the trick....3 pills, 1 powder, 1 gargle, and 1 cough syrup. It's funny because the meds were given almost exactly how they serve food...cute, individually wrapped portions...just enough for the 3 day period, in not one, but two bags. So why is this a mind story and not a body post? Because this episode made it clear to me that I wasn't taking care of my body enough. (Why does it take loss of health to trigger that?)

So, I am not buying cigarettes anymore. I will just smoke Tetsuya's, which I hate btw, until I get sick of it altogether. This technique is really quite effective. Today, I smoked 2 cigarettes as opposed to 8....and I saved money. So, clean body, clean mind. I'm going to go for it. *update....i bought and smoked cigarettes. oops!*

BODY - This weekend we rode to Osaka Castle Park and enjoyed the Sunday afternoon. I am not an athlete or even the outdoorsy type, but as I get older, I have come to love it more and more. Everyone was at the park, walking, jogging, cycling, spending family, dog, or lover time together. It was romantic, and sweet, and oh so healthy! We live literally 5 minutes from this huge castle with a moat, garden, fountains, park area and all this unimpeded exercise sidewalk/road. It was inspiring, and having battled the fever from hell, I committed to making more effort to take advantage of this in the future.

SPIRIT - I wanted to go to church Sunday, but didn't make it. I think about it a lot, and instead of being inspired, I bog myself with old memories and just get tired. I'm sure there's some guilt sprinkled in there too. But something keeps calling me to go. Must be the strength of prayer warriors in my family tapping on my shoulder in my receptive sleep--my mom being #1 I'm sure. It's so different living in a non-Christian country...I mean, people claim agnostic as often as we hear people claim Christianity at home. Tetsuya and I often debate this point as he seems to think that geography and religion categorizes all foreigners. (I really need to learn Japanese if he plans on talking about that more.) It's just a fact here. Sunday is a day off from work, no special programs on TV or seeing people go to church. It's just another day. Strange.

LANGUAGE BARRIER OR CULTURAL BRIDGE?

Tetsuya's Prayer:
Thank you for Margaret. Thank you for pay food. Thank you for Life (A new supermarket that just opened up across the street reducing my grocery shopping gripes tremendously). Thank you sushi. Amen.

fiesty work women, cheer yourself up, and old macdonald

MIND - Motherhood woes cross cultural barriers. At a farewell party for a coworker from my adult teaching job, I tried to hide in the corner away from the guest of honor and away from a nabe pot. I was quickly surrounded by 3 older women and the office assistant manager. I figured they would get lost in their Japanese communication, leaving me to enjoy the melodic hum of the language I have come to enjoy, but the ring leader kept pulling me into the conversation. Three of these ladies have two children a piece so it was only natural to hear friendly advice passed around along with the shabu shabu plate.

They told me they would test my Japanese and give me some etiquette tips, but they mostly teased me, which I loved because it reminded me of Samoa. Somehow, the conversation drifted to my plans (if any) to marry and ended (believe it or not) on teaching Dating in English classes with complimentary kava candy. We had a great time laughing and hatching our imaginary marketing idea over the outstanding menu. All in all, I wasn't nearly as angry after the dinner as I was before when I had to pay $50. Those ladies and their advice was worth every penny.

BODY - I keep forgetting my ipod so instead of staring into space, I decided to count how many stairs/footsteps it takes for me to get home. (I know, it's the OCD in me.) After the 10 minute bike ride from the daycare center, I have 20 stairs up into the bike parking lot, and 20 down, then 60 into the station from the street...then get this, 300 paces (including 20 more stairs) to get to the platform position that minimizes my walking. Isn't that crazy? I stopped counting after that, but estimating I think it's 50 paces to the transfer platform, 40 more steps, and then another 50 paces to get to the right car on the platform. Then 10 steps to an escalator, 20 steps, another escalator, 50 paces to the next 50 stairs, then the bike ride home. Are you tired yet? That's why I take a cig break on my way home. lol. I wish I had a pedometer for all those librarians who took those hokey "walk across america" challenges to meet some HR person's goal to get us healthy. I would blow those chix outta the water!

SPIRIT - I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad. After reading it twice though, I just feel weird.
FOOD
hot tea or water, chocolate anything, kaki-peanut mix, grilled jelly sandwiches (pb/cheese are too expensive here), tofu with ajinomoto and shoyu, butter cookies, somen sauce, takoyaki, rice and furikake, miso soup
KIDS
getting boogers out of kids' noses, toddlers blowing kisses, bubbles, rolling around on the floor, running and screaming at the playground, toddler handprints, toddler hands, toddlers calling my name
CLEANING
getting lint out of my big toenail, refolding toilet paper once I've ripped it off the roll, having tissue when my nose is runny, scrubbing faucets with an old toothbrush to get all that gunk out, cleaning out the hair catch in the shower (OCD),
GROOMING
trial sized lotions, anti-bacterial solution, lotioning my feet and putting socks on them before bed, vaseline on my lips in the morning, knitted scarves, gloves, beanies, fabric softener, covering my head with a thick blanket and breathing to warm myself up before bed (the heater is too expensive), hot hot hot showers (gotta splurge somewhere)
VICES
CHOCOLATE!

LANGUAGE BARRIER OR CULTURAL BRIDGE?

What sound does a cow make? me: mooooo him: mo
What sound does a monkey make? me: ooohx2 aaahx2 him: key key key
What sound does a lion make? me: rooooooooarrr him: gaaaaoooo
What sound does a rooster make? me: cockle doodle doo him: kokey koko
What sound does a cat make? me: meow him: niaaaaa
What sound does a dog make? me: woof woof him: wan wan

*one day i will figure out how to add recordings. sorry, im still learning my mac.*

laziness, vices, and fighting me

MIND --"I'm just lazy." This statement reconfirms your core belief that subconsciously, you are not worthy. Your first 8-10 years are when you're wired for something. And the challenge is to rewire your thinking. If anyone in your life, especially a person of authority, reinforced that you're not good enough, that wiring can be damaging. This isn't about blaming that person, it's about going back to figure out where you were imprinted to believe that other people's needs were more important than your own. If you don't have money for professional counseling, it requires unraveling where in your childhood you were made to believe that your opinions were not important.-- Oprah and Bob Greene of Best Life

BODY -- My father used to go to the grocery store with a shopping list and return with a large amount of xxxxx junk food...sometimes with or without the actual food my mother needed. I thought it strange at the time because my mom was such a frugal woman. Candy was rarely in the house, fresh fruits and milk were regulated (via her screaming "What happened to all the xxxxx?"), and lunch money was calculated to the penny (I was liberally scooping additional coins out of the coffee can to buy convenience store goodies which resulted in mom screaming "What happened to all the xxxxx?").

So what is the connection to the body section of my post? Well, I went to work, having budgeted out snack, transportation, lunch, and bill money, purposely leaving my cigarettes at home to "cut down" when a pang of xxxxx hit me. Chocolate or cigarettes? Both are about $1 and I strategically left both at home to stick to my plan. So why did I go in there and buy both? Because like my dad, I was looking to fill the void with one of my vices. How I wish running was my addiction! Actually, some runners need to have doctor ordered bed rest because they break bones and starve themselves or something like that. lol. "What happened to xxxxx?" Maybe next month when it warms up I will run to a farther store....to buy cigarettes and chocolate.

WORK -- 1) Whether or not a parent is happy with company policies, I can make their kid giggle like there's no tomorrow. And I'm okay with that.
2) All children are better when their parents are gone.

LANGUAGE BARRIER OR CULTURAL BRIDGE?
"You want to fighting me? I don't wanna fighting you."
"If I pay all, you don't go club, okay? Finish."
"Hungry Margaret is dangerous."
Lesson: Never argue on an empty stomach.

Cook: Kare ha nihon-jin desuka? (Your boyfriend, He's Japanese?)
Me: Hai.....Anatono karee ha totemo oishii! (Yes......Your curry is so delicious)
Cook: Iie, iie (no, no) My husband doesn't like curry.
Lesson - I am pronouncing curry incorrectly.

commuter-cise, nose tampons (surgical mask optional), and a bowl of tonjiru

MIND - So I've been listening to Japanesepod 101 podcasts on my ipod on the way home from work everyday. I leave work at 6-ish and ride a company bike about 10 minutes to the subway station. Then, it's a 5 minute walk from the street to the platform. The first subway ride (Midosuji line Shinkanaoka Station to Doubutsuenmae station) takes about 15 minutes. Then I have to walk 5 minutes to the other line (Sakaisuji) and ride that subway to my home station (Kitahama). That takes about 15 minutes. THEN, I ride my own bike home which takes another 5 minutes and walk from the parking area to the elevator to reach my apartment an hour from clock-out time.

I always seem to fall asleep while listening. It reminds me of college...reading the same page in a chapter before entering lala land. I keep hoping that I will subconsciously retain some of the podcast, but I usually listen a second or third time. What is it with this language? From what I've read regarding language study, 10-15 minutes a day should help, but when co-workers talk to one another, I have no idea what they're saying. It's pretty ironic considering we're an English school. My Japanese teacher tells me I should keep a Japanese journal and my boyfriend is convinced I need to write in Japanese and study kanji. I'm sure they are both right, but it's hard to keep "studying" when I can't see the fruits of my labor. Realistically though, I know I'm not really studying...especially when my writing practice notebook has 30-45 days between entries.

I watch Japanese TV (no subtitles), Japanese movies and sitcoms (with subtitles--much more interesting) and listen to podcasts and watch video vocabulary quizzes on the ipod, but I guess without heart, I'm not fooling anyone. I know I'm on the verge of finding the method that will work for me, and I feel the weight of its importance on a daily basis, but since I survived Samoa without Samoan, I guess I'm okay with being illiterate most of the time. Shopping, web surfing, and trying to decide what to eat is when I get irritated about not knowing the lingo. Oh, and when I meet all these foreigners whose Japanese rolls of their tongues like butter, I get a twinge of jealousy right before I become overwhelmed with admiration.

My students (both toddler and adult) inspire me, though. They are doing it--speaking English--against the odds. English really is useless here, but they show up day after day, with their homework done (or tuition paid for the toddlers) all to attain bilingual status. Pretty cool, huh? So がんばります！(I'll do my best.)

BODY - I've been getting menstrual symptoms in my old age. I never used to have cramps, bloating, or get super moody (I used to be moody all the time) in my teen and 20's, but now, it seems like a second adolescence or something. So I hope I find a father for the child(ren) I may want to have soon before my scrambled eggs stop dropping.

WORK - One of my toddlers had a bloody nose for two days last week. Her mother mentioned yesterday that she noticed an odor and took the girl to the doctor to discover that a piece of tissue had gotten lodged in her nasal cavity. The mother was angry and thought a teacher put it up there. My Japanese co-teacher and I were insulted that she would think we would be stupid enough to do something like that. The office manager posed the question to the teachers in a way that could be construed as insulting and mentioned that we would take responsibility for not watching her closely enough.

Mind you, in Japan, they sell nose tampons for allergies and runny noses in general, which as an allergy sufferer I think is great. (People wear them with surgical masks....another post to explain...so you don't "see" the nose tampons if they have them in.) Culturally, this practice of inserting absorbent material into nostrils is well-known AND said toddler has a grandmother in the house. Mind you #2, this toddler is in don't-touch-me-i-can-do-it-myself phase so we barely get to wipe her nose during the day. Mind you #3, I stuck a screw up my nose at 3 1/2 years old and almost had to go to the hospital, but my mom (hardcore as she is) used a bobby pin in the doctor's office parking lot to remove it because she didn't want to pay money for something so crazy. Bottom line, learn cultural health practices when dealing with children!

TODAY - I made tonjiru. Man said it was good. I like miso anything, so it was easy for me to like. I really dig the youtube channel I found it on "Cooking with Dog." The cook makes it look so easy! I keep wondering who the narrator is, though. If you have any easy recipes that don't involve regular oven cooking or lots of prep space, let me know. I also prefer recipes with less than 8 ingredients and less than two cooking methods (e.g. frying and boiling but not frying, boiling, and kneading lol)...FYI.

blogs, butts, and mantras with tea, please

MIND-I have thought about it, read about it, and even created this blog account years ago, but I never wrote a single post. I read all my sister's posts and encourage her to keep writing, yet I let each week pass without writing anything about my experience here in Japan. 2009 is well on its way and as Obama prepares to officially take office, I will prepare to officially begin blogging. I know, my blogging is not as momentous, but like Obama says, it's because of me that he won the election. :)

BODY- I've been reading about butt muscles because recently I've been having butt pains. And it's only on one side (left FYI). I'm trying to figure out what I've been doing that would cause it, but I haven't come up with any explanations. I wish I knew why it hurts so I could quit doing that movement incorrectly. Maybe it's karma--I've been a pain in the a$$ so now I'm having a$$ pains. :) My friend who is a personal trainer says I just need to stretch it out. Here's to Butt Stretching!

WORK-This week I have to start potty training my nursery class. There are 12 toddlers ranging in age from 18-24 months. Last week I spent several hours reading about techniques, watching videos of potty training. I even had Tetsuya order "Everyone Poops" online for me. (Great book, btw.) I had all these big plans of creating a cardboard box pop-up display using actual photos of our toilet area, getting boy and girl dolls to model the potty process for them, and printing out a reward chart to use with stickers. Then, I went to the club. My Sunday was over just like that.

TODAY: I woke up at 6 pm, cleaned the apartment, showered, ate fast food, cooked stew, watched Japanese TV, checked email and SNSs, then ended up reading blogs of note. It's 1055 pm now and I have to sleep so I can be ready for tomorrow. It's cold but "I love winter" (my new mantra to help me overcome my hatred for this unnatural time of year), so as I drink lots of tea and stay indoors more, wish me blogging luck.