My short time in Korea

so much has happened in the last month. i have found it impossible to sit down and write as i am trying to process it all. among the many things coming at me, maintaining a clear head has been difficult, but i am really enjoying the constant activity. i’ll try now to write a bit about my short one week trip to korea.

during the japanese holiday known as “golden week”, i decided to take the week off for some traveling. i traveled alone and as usual booked no hotels and planned no itineraries. the easy flight from osaka to seoul took only 1.5 hours. when i arrived to the capital i found so much to see that i ended up spending all my time there. in a city as pedestrian friendly as seoul i find the best way to get around is either on foot on by subway. all day, everyday i walked the streets though various neighborhoods and market places, learned just about every stop on the subway, ate amazing food, and just absorbed as much daily life as i could. it was exhilarating to just follow the breeze as it brought me to ancient palaces, temples, gardens, museums, festivals, music, dancing, art installments, and a coffee shop on every corner (just like seattle. *for some strange reason i really miss coffee shops).

my experience was a lot different in korea then in japan. in many ways it was like a breath of fresh air (that is until the elusively polluted seoul air began taxing my sinuses). maybe it was the very direct and open nature of the people that i met which made me feel so comfortable. or was there something else underlying that fact? a spiritual connection perhaps? whatever it was i still became a little homesick for my quiet river town in southern wakayama japan. perhaps there’s something very addictive about clean air and fresh ocean breezes.

one of the most interesting sites for me was the the demilitarized zone which separates the two koreans. it opened my eyes to the tension and sadness that occupies the daily lives of many koreans. it is a long and complex story but essentially one about families being separated. also about the oppression of the north korean people who are denied their simple freedoms of expression and communication to the outside world. international travel, Internet access, non-propaganda t.v. programing, religion, are among many other things are not allowed under communist rule.

but, despite a harsh past and bitter war between the two koreas, i felt hope and optimism for unification from the people i met there.

seoul has some amazing restaurants, art, architecture, and salsa clubs. but as much as i loved korea, i have no intension of moving there (at least not yet) after my contact is up here. i still feel that for now there is no other place i’d rather live then where i am today. and as much effort and energy that i have put into understanding the japanese language i don’t think that i could start cold again in a new situation. but, i really look forward to my next visit to korea and future travels in asia.

my korea pics can be found here.

Sakura!

spring vacation is coming to a close. it has been nice to have a little break from teaching and also to have lot’s of time to focus 100% on my japanese language studies. though i am far from skillful, i find myself understanding more and more of what people are saying to me each day, which feels really good. now, i am glad at having been assigned to sitting at my desk in the board of education for the entire two week break. the rest of my hours and hours of free time has been spent reviving old “hobbies” and starting new ones. i have been engulfed with teaching myself the guitar. life is really good.

today, kozagawa had it’s annual sakura matsuri. the small town of sada, which is where the cherry blossom festival was held, boasts a whopping 3,000 cherry trees. many people came from all around to participate in hanami, cherry blossom viewing parties, when the flowers are in full bloom. the view was amazing.

here are some new pics, sorry i know i have been really behind on this.

Almost A New School Year

the winter has been cold in japan. it seems that everyone resigns to the comfort of their homes and more importantly their kotatsu (a heated table in which a thick blanket is attached). but i sense that change is in the air. the ume (plum blossoms) have started to bloom. i am so ready for the warmth again.

the school year is just about over and i hope that my students have learned anything close to amount i have over the last seven months. but i really doubt that. maybe what i am teaching here is not something which can exactly be measured on paper. but rather, a much more formative experience of gaining an increased desire for continual learning and exploration. sounds pretty lofty, huh? never the less, that’s what i tell myself after a lesson or game idea that i had crashes and burns. but hey, that only keeps you more humble i guess too.

here are just briefly some of the highlights of the past school year:

making mochi - we pounded giant mortars full of rice into a fine gooey ball which was later formed into small round individual cakes of various colors. some of the finished product was eaten and the rest was wrapped and taken home as “omiyage” (gifts/souvenirs). not only was it delicious to eat afterward, but the process was a great way for manly bonding with my fellow teachers. we tried to impress each other with the speed, accuracy, and strength in which we could pulverize the rice with our large wooden mallets. the students were also very impressed by this display of manliness, and made a game out of the spectacle by chanting in turn the names of the mighty few.

dodge ball - some of the best times i have with my students are outside of the classroom. at recess it is always fun to play various sports and games. one of the all time favorites for the kids is dodge ball. this is were all reservations are out the window and 1st graders can compete with 6th graders as they try to slam the other team out of their respective square.

christmas cards - it is always fun to share something with the students that is special to me and the christmas season was one of them. the students enjoyed making christmas cards for a friend or family member while listening to christmas jazz. this took me home if not for a brief moment. *sigh

playing saxophone - another thing that i enjoy sharing with my students is my love of music. and what kids do you know of who don’t like that? one day i left all my lesson plans at home and just played saxophone with a brief explanation of the instrument. it was probably one of my more popular visits to the classroom for both students and teachers alike. if only i could find a way to teach english entirely through the use of music. that would be really fun, maybe someday i’ll figure that one out.

i also had the great opportunity to perform on the saxophone at two of my schools festivals. it was also cool because it reminded me of my roots as a performer/music major and i saw the links from that to my being here in japan.

being silly - i love my kindergarten kids because with them i can act the most like a kid myself and just be silly. and they are very affectionate too, always hanging and climbing around on me, and pulling me this way and that. it is funny though that the really tiny preschoolers for me can be the most intimidating to teach. whenever i get up in front of them and see their little innocent faces staring attentively toward me i lose all train of thought. when i think of what jesus said about the little ones inheriting the kingdom of god, i am reminded about how unworthy i am when i am among such innocence. there is something intimidating about it to me, like that they know something that i don’t know.

it’s also fun to goof around in the halls with my middle school students. they sometimes have a new popular japanese phrase for me or they rehearse their best insults and put downs to their fellow classmates in english. boys will be boys…

i hope that the next school year will bring only a deeper level of comfort between my schools and i and also an ease in which i can deliver my lesson/game ideas.

Pathways

today i found a trail. it was the gate on the top of a hill that caught my eye. it’s bright red head poked out through the green of the mountain. this was just one of many gates that are scattered throughout the high and low places of this country. though, as is the case for many facets of japan, you can live among it’s many mysteries without ever noticing them until one day they are stumbled upon.

the trail head starts at a shrine four hundred yards from the front door of my house. it is shaded by the rich earthy green of majestic and wise bamboo. a rock stairway winds it’s way up through the bamboo grove as it ascends up to the evergreens. a vast network of intertwining paths were reveled as i made my way to the first lookout point over kozagawa town. there my eye followed the flow of the river from city hall across the length of the town to where it meets the ocean and beyond. painted bright red resembling it’s much less conspicuous cousin on top of the hill is the koza bridge, a gateway to the south pacific.

the town is nestled in a valley between mountain, river, and ocean. i reached the top of the trail to the high gate as it guarded a temple which lay not far behind. the view becomes an expanse from the river estuary along the winding path toward it’s origins deep inside the densely wooded kozagawa.

but, this was not on the highest peak of the mountain. a stones throw behind the temple is a sight all too familiar, and almost unavoidable in japan. in the midst of natural beauty, the product of industry. in this case, a giant cellular phone tower. the coexistence of these two very different aspects of life are inevitable. one mountain top, two entirely different means of communication. an ancient perception of divinity and a modern “necessity”. which is more important?

i remembered as a kid i would have thought of nothing more then to love climbing this tower. i would not have noticed it’s mark left on the mountain and my view of the river nor it’s self proclamation of king. i took in the view for a while and remembered when it was summer. how i loved swimming in the river everyday. maybe nothing has changed.

Recontracting

i have decided to recontact with the kozagawa board of education here in japan. during the last six months in kozagawa i have been through quite a range of emotions. it has taken no less then six months to finally feel accustomed to life in this new place. the adjustment has resulted in a 180 degree turn in my outlook of being here. and i have become excited at the prospect of growing deeper into this community. although it has been very challenging i have found great enjoyment in getting to know my students better. and i believe that one year is really too short for getting to know a student, colleague, community, town, country, language, etc.. in the last few weeks my experiences here have brought many surprises and new discoveries. i am starting to fall for this place, even though it once terrified me. perceived isolation and lack of young people, in which to befriend, made me crazy on more then one occasion. but, i have also realized that large cities can be just as lonely, if not more so, then small towns. here everyone knows me.

once again, the clean air and sparkling river has made me grateful for where i live.

Recontracting for Another Year?

i have until tomorrow to decide if i would like to stay in japan as a JET program, ALT. it is hard to believe that six months has already gone by. i have gone from a clueless foreigner in a strange land, to a mildly clueless foreigner in a semi-strange land. no, doubt my experience would have been quite different if i were to have been sent to the big city. would i have had such a rich, yet intensely difficult and challenging first year in japan had i been in the universal surroundings of one of the major metropolises. maybe it would have brought on a very different set of challenges. but i think that i would not have experienced the “real” japan to this extent. it would have been very easy to just hide among the other foreigners (although there are quite a few compared to other major cities in the world, especially china). but, no matter where a foreigner decides to live in japan many challenges await. language is one of the major factors. english is not widely spoken even in the major cities, so one has two choices; hang with other “native” english speakers, or risk a time of intense loneliness and isolation learning the language to a degree where basic conversation is possible. due to my surroundings i really had little choice. basically, sink or swim. and my period of isolated study has taken much longer then i would like. as i was preparing to begin my teaching here, i was under the impression that using japanese in class was not okay. now, i find that the utilization of japanese is the one of the most important skills that i could have brought into the class room at a much earlier time. with no japanese and having never taught english before, figuring things out while trying to communicate my intentions to both teachers and students was near impossible. and after the novelty of my being here began to wear off, taking the role of entertainer/game show host became more and more important. i can’t say that i have really grasped this whole teaching thing yet. but, i do know that it has gotten dramatically easier since the first few months. and as i continue to slog my way through the language it will only get easier.

i have also found that one year is terribly short for getting to know a brand new situation. as much as i don’t like feeling so isolated in the countryside, i find that when i am so preoccupied with thoughts of the exiting city life, i lose sight of the potential in my immediate surroundings. i really have so much freedom to grow and explore my own creativity as well as the unique culture of this wonderful area in japan. if my theory is correct then another year would bring with it deeper relationships, understanding of the culture, stronger language abilities, and teaching skills. i really feel so fortunate to be here.

whether i decide to stay or not (i am still not sure until tomorrow) i’d like to send out an open invitation to all of my friends, come and visit!

Year End, Japan and China

a lot of things have happened since my last entry, including the christmas season in japan, the end of my first term teaching, and my two week break in china.

the christmas season in japan with my students was a great way to share more about my culture. especially because christmas has always been the most special time of year for me. however, this year was very different. and it marked my first year being away from my family. but, what made it a comforting holiday, even though i was alone on a train to shangahi (i will talk more about my china trip later), was the support of my family to seize the opportunity to follow my heart and travel. my decision to not go home came after prayerful consideration and talks with my family. and although, my christmas day was not filled with family, home cooking, presents, or christmas trees. i was given many other great memories. they were not always fun (as we anticipate our “vacations” to be), but often painful and tiring. the stretching of ones world view does not come without some cost i guess.

so, back to teaching in japan for the holidays. it was really exciting for me to teach about christmas and especially share the music. the holiday season brought many opportunities for me to perform christmas songs on the saxophone. in addition to being invited to play at two of my schools drama/music festivals i got to perform a couple times at the major hotel in kushimoto for a large international audience. (i’ll try to post one of my school performances on youtube, but i still need to figure out a way the shrink the file). the performing was fun but the most memorable experience for me was ditching the lesson plans for an entire day with my preschoolers. the only teaching materials i brought was a sax and a head full of melodies. i felt that this particular class was a major success. it gave me the chance to connect with the students on a deeper level. and to share something with them much more important then english. as i demonstrated the different sounds of the instrument and very basically how it works, the kids had never been so attentive. playing christmas songs that the students already knew made them even more interested. some got so excited that they had me play some popular japanese songs while they sang the words. but, what made this experience so great was that the excitement continued after class and all the way up until i had to regrettably leave for the day, much to the kids dismay. the comfort level between my students/teachers and i had been growing steadily for some time, but this allowed the dam to overflow. after classes i was whisked around the school yard, playing soccer here, dodge ball there, and even making some delicious mud balls layered with a fine powdery sand coating, until the bell rang signaling lunch time.

with the exception of all the excitement the holidays brought to my schools, i was very ready for a break from everything. so, for my vacation time i decided to travel to china, which was the first place on my long list of places to visit. i decided for my limited time in the country to experience the three major cities, hong kong, shanghai, and beijing. but it turned out that in addition to these places, fate had me visit one of the more fascinating if not infamous places in china, shenzhen. known as the most dangerous city in china, it lives up to it’s reputation if not only for the fact that the sun does not come out there. because of the astounding speed in which this city is growing, health is a major issue. smog, dust, over crowded roads, the constant sound of jack hammers and dump trucks fill the senses. this place is a startling symbol of china’s emerging status. a young chinese business man chillingly described his mindset working in shenzhen; “You sell your youth for money, then you use your old age to by it back”. or at least you try i guess. whether it is possible to reverse the cycle of pollution in china, i don’t know. but, i will definitely keep my eyes on places like this. i can’t imagine what the next 20 years will bring.

through my experience of traveling in china alone as a caucasian male, i saw everything from the gritty, the posh, the real, and the fake. unfortunately, in the major scenic areas i felt like i was the constant target of scammers and street peddlers who would do anything to get the money i had. i felt so exhausted while in beijing, because they would use this annoying technique of stepping just enough in front of my path that i had to make a quick maneuver to one side in order to avoid contact with them and acknowledgment of their wares. at one point i got so sick of the constant dodging and the pathetic sound of “hello”, ringing in my ears as the sound of ravenous deceit, that i prayed for patience i would not be punching any chinese people today. consequently, for an entire day i held up in the semi-luxury of my hotel, glad to be out of the cold and away from the hounding of the millions of desperate chinese who have flocked en masse to the city with the sole purpose and great anticipation of scamming their fortunes from the throngs of foreigners arriving for the beijing olympics. in addition, i think that because it was low tourist season i took the brunt of every greedy individual looking for an easy target to take advantage of, it did not help standing out as a solo caucasian male. and i must confess, though i consider myself a savvy traveler, i was had on one occasion. but, i believe i am better because of it. and maybe, just maybe, the one who scammed me will become a better person too. because without contact with this person i would not have been able to lift them up in prayer and have learned of the deep desperation that clouds the minds of these many young people.

i am very fortunate to be in a position to travel and experience the world. it was very easy for me to just pick up and go, even with the minimal planning that took place. and i felt safe for the most part. i have much to process about my time spent there. and i’m glad to be back in japan doing so.

Holiday Colors

after finally getting over a terrible cold which lasted for over two weeks i was well enough to make another great journey into the city. i spent the last 4 days in osaka and kyoto with the excuse of seeing the famous momiji (red autumn leaves) in arashiyama. the three and a half hour train ride would have been worth it just for that one day of soaking in the most beautiful fall scenery i have ever seen. not only were there multicolored maple leaves but koi ponds, perfectly groomed forest floors, bamboo groves, good food, and crowds of people. it was so busy with visitors from all over japan that on the train i could hardly breath with the person in front of me pinned against my chest. the mayhem was also intensified by the long holiday weekend which felt much like the the busiest shopping days of the year in america, right after thanksgiving. but what also made it such a familiar time of the year was the constant sound of christmas music playing in every store. this may sound hokey but it actually almost brought a tear to my eye hearing frank sinatra’s “silent night” and a nice choral version of “o come, o come imanuel”. i’m not going to bash or attempt to speak against any gross commercialization of christmas in japan. i just choose to see it as a nice little reminder of things back home. and also as a hope that the true spirit of this sacred holiday is preparing to make it’s self home here.

Here are some of my photos from this trip. i hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving!

Osaka Trip

this weekend i made one of my monthly trips to osaka, which is a three hour train ride up along the scenic wakayama coastline. these trips are beginning to become more and more important as i contemplate my plans for next year with the possibility of relocating there. they also give me a much needed break from the quietness of the countryside and a chance to see the other side of japanese life, art, architecture, and culture. during my visits there i have been fortunate to have met friendly people who were willing to go out of their way to help me. one man in particular took about a half an hour, out of the end of his (what i’m sure very busy) work day, to help me find a salsa club. we walked up and down stairs and across intersections stopping only to ask cab drivers for directions, which felt very awkward to me. as time passed, i thought about how this guy would have to walk another half hour back to the train station. i insisted that i was alright. but he was determined to help. and this kind stranger led me right to the place, expecting nothing more in return then a friendly handshake. from these experiences i feel that life in this city could only get better, especially as my language skills increase. though, i still miss my friends back home immensely i am excited about the future and all of the new friends who are out there that i have not met yet.

in addition to dancing at Salsa House Osaka to the sounds of a live band, i also enjoyed eating some of the food that osaka is famous for, such as, takoyaki (fried dough balls filled with octopuss, slathered with sauces and other delicious toppings). i also visited Suita Bible Gospel Church, which had many kind foreigners among the congregation that i ended up speaking with at there English Lunch Time, over bento boxes and hot soup (a present for being a first time visitor). another highlight of my trip was finding and purchasing a pair of basketball shoes, which is kind of a difficult thing to do in the part of japan that i live. basketball is not a big deal here, but amazingly i have found a weekly game in my area that i join.

osaka has helped me see past the current loneliness that i often experience being so isolated. so, whether i move there or not next year, just the thought of something bigger than my current situation is stimulating. and it has been getting harder to come back home after my visits.

i have some new photos posted on picasa. click here to view or go to the my photos section of this blog. please feel free to make any comments about them too. thanks, and i hope you enjoy!