Hey all, I`m writing from a nearby library that allows me internet usage for one hour/day. I should get internet connected in my new place this weekend. I just moved apartments, again, after recently settling into a noisy place in Kitakyushu. My new place is much quieter, more spacious, cheaper, and has a great view of my neighborhood in East-Yahata, Kitakyushu. It`s also closer to the train station, leaving me a little more time to sleep in before I head to work in the morning. For the record, I probably would have stuck it out in the noisy `LeoPalace` brand apartment I was in if it wasn`t for the noise of a nearby industrial highway keeping me up at night. In any case, the timing for the move was perfect because my parents, grandma, and aunt came to visit me at that time and were more than generous in helping me settle in. Props to each of them for hooking me up with furniture and lending some much needed helping hands.
At the end of this short post I`ll post my new address. For now, I want to say that the last month of my time here has been really enriching. I visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with Elizabeth and was able to see more of Seoul, took a trip to Beppu in Japan with my family and saw some awesome hot spring sites, and just got back from a trip to Nagasaki with Elizabeth for Golden Week, a string of national holidays in Japan. Needless to say I have some cool pictures to post and plenty to write about, farther along.
My new address is:
Station Heights, Apt. 808
Yahata-Higashi Ku
Nihon-Machi 2-4-21
Kitakyushu City
Fukuoka, Japan 805-0061
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
New Address and a Previous Journey
I am officially settled in to my new place in Kitakyushu City. Where I live is strikingly noisier than where I lived in Iizuka, and after a few difficult nights of sleep I am just now getting use to the busy road and parallel train line that surround my apartment.
Before I forget, the address to my new place is:
Paul Meuse
Apt. 204
3-11-15
Maeda Yahata-Higashi Ku
Kitakyushu City
Fukuoka 805-0069
Japan
Any and all mail is surely welcome.
Now, I want to talk about a place I visited a few weeks ago before I moved into the city. On the first day of spring, a national holiday in Japan, I visited a famous worship spot a few train stops from Iizuka station. A friend of mine told me that this spot was more than worth checking out.
The place was real busy when I went, at about 11:00 AM. Lots of old ladies (Oba-chans) and old men (Ogi-sans) came to this spot to pay reverence to deities. From the station, I could tell by walking through the tiny town that it was a kind of touristy spot, with the pathway to the shrines lined with souvenir shops and small ramen and food stalls. Once I made it to the entrance of the shrine(s), there were several different pathways I could take. Taking one pathway, immediately the scent of burning incense was strong and I noticed several smaller shrines where people were doing their prayer rituals. I really wanted to capture on film one old lady paying her respects, but decided against taking her picture out of courtesy (I really needed a spy camera).
Among the several smaller pathways I could take, there were many small stone statues, looking like demons and other characters, and one large, dominating demon figure with a fiery red background. There was also a waterfall flowing down the mountain into smaller ponds, making smaller waterfalls along a worship path. The mountain that lined the background had a grove of interesting looking trees. One path I took led me into a sort of cave. I had to duck my head to enter it and saw an alter at the cave's end filled with eye-burning, strong, smoky incense and old Japanese people praying. At this rural spot in Kyushu, at this particular time, I am sure I was the only non-native Japanese person present, and one of the few individuals checking out the scene.
I was amazed when I reached the giant Buddha, the main attraction. I think aside from the size and grandeur of the statue, I was truly awed to realize how spectacularly interesting this place was, and how it was only a 15 minute train ride from my apartment! It is a nook of Buddhist culture that has, in my opinion, a statue as breathtaking as the big Buddha (Daibutsu) in Kamakura; yet here there aren't millions of tourists coming to see it, only native Japanese people that have an understanding of its meaning beyond just 'a neat sight.' I was in the middle of all this, fortunate to walk around and simply observe.
Before I forget, the address to my new place is:
Paul Meuse
Apt. 204
3-11-15
Maeda Yahata-Higashi Ku
Kitakyushu City
Fukuoka 805-0069
Japan
Any and all mail is surely welcome.
Now, I want to talk about a place I visited a few weeks ago before I moved into the city. On the first day of spring, a national holiday in Japan, I visited a famous worship spot a few train stops from Iizuka station. A friend of mine told me that this spot was more than worth checking out.
The place was real busy when I went, at about 11:00 AM. Lots of old ladies (Oba-chans) and old men (Ogi-sans) came to this spot to pay reverence to deities. From the station, I could tell by walking through the tiny town that it was a kind of touristy spot, with the pathway to the shrines lined with souvenir shops and small ramen and food stalls. Once I made it to the entrance of the shrine(s), there were several different pathways I could take. Taking one pathway, immediately the scent of burning incense was strong and I noticed several smaller shrines where people were doing their prayer rituals. I really wanted to capture on film one old lady paying her respects, but decided against taking her picture out of courtesy (I really needed a spy camera).
Among the several smaller pathways I could take, there were many small stone statues, looking like demons and other characters, and one large, dominating demon figure with a fiery red background. There was also a waterfall flowing down the mountain into smaller ponds, making smaller waterfalls along a worship path. The mountain that lined the background had a grove of interesting looking trees. One path I took led me into a sort of cave. I had to duck my head to enter it and saw an alter at the cave's end filled with eye-burning, strong, smoky incense and old Japanese people praying. At this rural spot in Kyushu, at this particular time, I am sure I was the only non-native Japanese person present, and one of the few individuals checking out the scene.
I was amazed when I reached the giant Buddha, the main attraction. I think aside from the size and grandeur of the statue, I was truly awed to realize how spectacularly interesting this place was, and how it was only a 15 minute train ride from my apartment! It is a nook of Buddhist culture that has, in my opinion, a statue as breathtaking as the big Buddha (Daibutsu) in Kamakura; yet here there aren't millions of tourists coming to see it, only native Japanese people that have an understanding of its meaning beyond just 'a neat sight.' I was in the middle of all this, fortunate to walk around and simply observe.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Leaving Iizuka and Starting Fresh in Kitakyushu
Hey everyone, this post may be a bit overdue, but here it is anyway. I am officially moving out of my place in Iizuka on Monday, March 31st, and moving to a bigger city, Kitakyushu, about an hour and 15 minutes from here by train. I am still working for the same company, One World Language Services (OWLS Co., Ltd), just relocating. The contract I signed last week says I will be working in Japan from April 1st 2009 for a full year. I am excited about my new position and moving to a new place. I should be able to post my new, correct address shortly. If you are kind enough to send me mail please don't send it to my old address and wait for me to post the new one. I should have it posted in the next week or so.
Overall, it was a bit stressful securing a job for this upcoming school year (which begins in April). Since January, I was telling my bosses that I would prefer to move to a high school position, but that the bottom line for me was to simply have a job. I wasn't actually given a job guarantee until a couple weeks ago. So, having had no job guarantee for a few months in between, with a heavy understanding that without a job I would be sent packing, I started looking for work elsewhere. I applied for other ALT jobs in and around Tokyo, hoping to land closer to my relatives. However, I didn't get a position up there and was left with whatever my company had to offer. Lucky for me, what they offered was something relatively good.
This new job will be at two junior high schools in Kitakyushu. I just finished up 7 months of work at 4 different junior high schools in a greatly smaller, more rural place. I am happy to be working at only two schools, and from what I've heard, they are decent places to work with nice teachers and not so bad students. I am also happy to be living in a bigger city, with more nightlife and an easier time connecting with other people my age. One of the hardest things about living in Iizuka for me was not necessarily having a lack of things to do, but rather the lack of a network of young people to meet and get to know. I was lucky to be living in an apartment complex with two other ALT's. Without that, having had no other prior connection to this area I am positive my life here for the past 7 months would have been a lot more difficult.
In Kitakyushu it should be easier to connect with other ALT's, and there will be plenty of things to do in a city of about a million people. I will be able to enjoy live music and movies, a wide food selection and less staredowns from the locals. I'm not too excited about all the ugly smokestacks in the city, and I'm certain I'll miss the quietness of Iizuka before long. In any case, I hope my next transition goes smoothly and rest of the particulars of my new life in Kitakyushu turn out ok. I'll be having to deal with them for a year...
Overall, it was a bit stressful securing a job for this upcoming school year (which begins in April). Since January, I was telling my bosses that I would prefer to move to a high school position, but that the bottom line for me was to simply have a job. I wasn't actually given a job guarantee until a couple weeks ago. So, having had no job guarantee for a few months in between, with a heavy understanding that without a job I would be sent packing, I started looking for work elsewhere. I applied for other ALT jobs in and around Tokyo, hoping to land closer to my relatives. However, I didn't get a position up there and was left with whatever my company had to offer. Lucky for me, what they offered was something relatively good.
This new job will be at two junior high schools in Kitakyushu. I just finished up 7 months of work at 4 different junior high schools in a greatly smaller, more rural place. I am happy to be working at only two schools, and from what I've heard, they are decent places to work with nice teachers and not so bad students. I am also happy to be living in a bigger city, with more nightlife and an easier time connecting with other people my age. One of the hardest things about living in Iizuka for me was not necessarily having a lack of things to do, but rather the lack of a network of young people to meet and get to know. I was lucky to be living in an apartment complex with two other ALT's. Without that, having had no other prior connection to this area I am positive my life here for the past 7 months would have been a lot more difficult.
In Kitakyushu it should be easier to connect with other ALT's, and there will be plenty of things to do in a city of about a million people. I will be able to enjoy live music and movies, a wide food selection and less staredowns from the locals. I'm not too excited about all the ugly smokestacks in the city, and I'm certain I'll miss the quietness of Iizuka before long. In any case, I hope my next transition goes smoothly and rest of the particulars of my new life in Kitakyushu turn out ok. I'll be having to deal with them for a year...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
A Few Pictures of Winter
The day after tomorrow, March 20th, is Vernal Equinox Day, a national holiday in Japan. I have to mention that the weather has been very 'springlike' and unbelievably great the past few days. It's been warm but not hot nor humid, with no mosquitoes buzzing around, and plenty of light outside lasting well into the evening. The trees are budding and we should be able to see the famous cherry blossoms (sakura) in full bloom shortly. I am excited to experience spring over here, especially if the weather continues to be how it's been lately.
Having grown up in Oregon I consider myself more or less acclimatized to what many Japanese people around here consider 'cold weather.' Though the students tend to be better (not having a heated teachers' room to hang out in all day) , I've seen quite a few Japanese teachers shuffling around in the non-heated school hallways, rubbing their arms and saying 'samui' (I'm cold) when I thought it was merely 'a cool temp.' But, I also remember quite a few times waking up chilly in the early mornings and having a few cold bike rides to school. I think the first couple of pictures will speak to the coldness of the mornings during the past couple months.
These are just a few random pictures I took this past winter.
On the way to Ni-Chuu in the morning.
The other side of the road.
Last month I saw Elizabeth in Seoul, and she took me to a Shamanist temple on the outskirts of the city. This picture is from halfway up the path to the temple. It was a very clear day.
From the top of the climb, above the Shamanist ritual grounds, looking into Seoul.
[Myeong-dong], a huge shopping area in Seoul.
A sign near my place in Iizuka.
Having grown up in Oregon I consider myself more or less acclimatized to what many Japanese people around here consider 'cold weather.' Though the students tend to be better (not having a heated teachers' room to hang out in all day) , I've seen quite a few Japanese teachers shuffling around in the non-heated school hallways, rubbing their arms and saying 'samui' (I'm cold) when I thought it was merely 'a cool temp.' But, I also remember quite a few times waking up chilly in the early mornings and having a few cold bike rides to school. I think the first couple of pictures will speak to the coldness of the mornings during the past couple months.
These are just a few random pictures I took this past winter.
On the way to Ni-Chuu in the morning.
The other side of the road.
Last month I saw Elizabeth in Seoul, and she took me to a Shamanist temple on the outskirts of the city. This picture is from halfway up the path to the temple. It was a very clear day.
From the top of the climb, above the Shamanist ritual grounds, looking into Seoul.
[Myeong-dong], a huge shopping area in Seoul.
A sign near my place in Iizuka.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Sea Turtles
These are pictures I drew for ichi nensei (7th graders) for my last week at Shonai Chuu. This is an appendage to a lesson the students are learning in their textbooks. One class, known for their enthusiasm, or genki-ness, would ask 'Really?' after I read each card. 'Yes,' I said every time.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Last Round at Shonai Chuu
I just finished the first of my last 10 days at Shonai Chuu. This is my most difficult school, and I remember having some real difficult times the previous two rounds I was there last year. When I was there in December, I wrote that one of the English teachers would be leaving, and a new one would be starting there in January. I met the new teacher today, and his name is Yamanaka sensei.
One of the biggest issues I had with my previous times at Shonai Chuu was working with the English teacher of the older kids, san-nensei. I realized today how true that really was. At the risk of speaking too soon and/or jinxing myself, I'd say that Yamanaka sensei and the previous teacher, Deguchi sensei, are in many ways direct opposites. I can remember a few times last year having to play a human tape recorder for students in a classroom that was almost too loud to hear myself speak in. Today I had three classes with the san-nensei students and every class was kept relatively quiet and wholly in control by Yamanaka sensei. I am not looking to figure out why these teachers were so different in the classroom; my point is only that they are and it makes all the difference in the world. I had one of the best days of teaching I can remember in a very long time, and I hardly did anything as a teacher worth talking about.
In fact, I was a human tape recorder today, and I didn't mind it a bit. I read sentences for the students in my best American English so they could try to understand me and answer a few questions. I probably sounded like a voice on one of the audio cd's that accompany the textbook, except with a little more nasal tone (I am getting over a cold). I did do other things, and really enjoyed helping the students with their writing section of the review test. But, I have to say I felt really good about doing what I was doing in large part because Yamanaka sensei acknowledged the spot he was putting me in. Before the classes, he gave me a short head nod, or tiny bow, and said 'I'm sorry for using you as a tape recorder.' That really helped.
I saw students working hard on a review test today that probably wouldn't have bothered a few months ago. These same students listened to me and Yamanaka sensei today when their norm a couple of months ago was to talk to each other while consciously not listening to the teacher(s).
In a few weeks time all the san-nensei students will be taking their entrance examinations to get into high school, so I'm hoping the hard work keeps up till then and pays off. I've heard of high schools here full of students that don't pass their entrance exams; from these places it is much, much harder for students to then go on to university.
Shonai is the poorest of the four junior high schools I work at. The city of Shonai looks generally poorer and more rural than Iizuka city. Academically, it is no doubt one of the worst in the area. Matter of fact, I also work at the most academic junior high school in the area, Ichuu. Ichuu has many students from the wealthiest and more well-off families in the area. Many students at Ichuu attend private academic lessons afterschool, or 'cramschools' called Juku. A teacher told me that it costs families $200-400 a month to send their kids to Juku. As for students that don't have such opportunities, they must rely more on good teaching and personal effort to get ahead.
One of the biggest issues I had with my previous times at Shonai Chuu was working with the English teacher of the older kids, san-nensei. I realized today how true that really was. At the risk of speaking too soon and/or jinxing myself, I'd say that Yamanaka sensei and the previous teacher, Deguchi sensei, are in many ways direct opposites. I can remember a few times last year having to play a human tape recorder for students in a classroom that was almost too loud to hear myself speak in. Today I had three classes with the san-nensei students and every class was kept relatively quiet and wholly in control by Yamanaka sensei. I am not looking to figure out why these teachers were so different in the classroom; my point is only that they are and it makes all the difference in the world. I had one of the best days of teaching I can remember in a very long time, and I hardly did anything as a teacher worth talking about.
In fact, I was a human tape recorder today, and I didn't mind it a bit. I read sentences for the students in my best American English so they could try to understand me and answer a few questions. I probably sounded like a voice on one of the audio cd's that accompany the textbook, except with a little more nasal tone (I am getting over a cold). I did do other things, and really enjoyed helping the students with their writing section of the review test. But, I have to say I felt really good about doing what I was doing in large part because Yamanaka sensei acknowledged the spot he was putting me in. Before the classes, he gave me a short head nod, or tiny bow, and said 'I'm sorry for using you as a tape recorder.' That really helped.
I saw students working hard on a review test today that probably wouldn't have bothered a few months ago. These same students listened to me and Yamanaka sensei today when their norm a couple of months ago was to talk to each other while consciously not listening to the teacher(s).
In a few weeks time all the san-nensei students will be taking their entrance examinations to get into high school, so I'm hoping the hard work keeps up till then and pays off. I've heard of high schools here full of students that don't pass their entrance exams; from these places it is much, much harder for students to then go on to university.
Shonai is the poorest of the four junior high schools I work at. The city of Shonai looks generally poorer and more rural than Iizuka city. Academically, it is no doubt one of the worst in the area. Matter of fact, I also work at the most academic junior high school in the area, Ichuu. Ichuu has many students from the wealthiest and more well-off families in the area. Many students at Ichuu attend private academic lessons afterschool, or 'cramschools' called Juku. A teacher told me that it costs families $200-400 a month to send their kids to Juku. As for students that don't have such opportunities, they must rely more on good teaching and personal effort to get ahead.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Bridge Opening in Iizuka
Hey y'all, last weekend I went to a ceremonial bridge opening in Iizuka, about a 10 minute walk from my apartment. Since I've been here they've been doing a lot of construction around town - fixing sidewalks and roads, building this bridge, and moving a bunch of earth near the river that cuts through the city. Anyway, this bridge opening turned out to be a big deal for this town, and the turnout was kind of mighty (for Iizuka). I'm really happy one of my co-teachers told me about it, because the interesting dances and music were totally unexpected. Who would have thought such a display of Japanese culture could be present so close to my house at 10am on a Saturday?
I took some short videos of some of the dances that were performed. I especially enjoyed the last one performed, where older Japanese ladies dressed in fancy kimonos were cutting a rug on the bridge. The sight of these ladies reminded me of my grandma, Yoshiko - though I'm sure she'd rather be indoors watching sumo on TV and eating macaroni salad than be outside dancing in the streets like this...
I took some short videos of some of the dances that were performed. I especially enjoyed the last one performed, where older Japanese ladies dressed in fancy kimonos were cutting a rug on the bridge. The sight of these ladies reminded me of my grandma, Yoshiko - though I'm sure she'd rather be indoors watching sumo on TV and eating macaroni salad than be outside dancing in the streets like this...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)