I hear what you are saying

I was watching a brief interview today of two Japanese figure skaters who had just competed, when something struck me as very odd about them. I could tell they weren't native Japanese people because i could understand almost every word that they spoke -- something that is quite a rarity for me in Japan. I looked them up, and it turned out there were actually American born -- and they were also mixed Japanese. So yeah, i know how things should be here in Japan and i can spot the people that don't belong -- i guess you could say that we can smell our own kind.

Here's looking at you...

Here’s looking at you, from a warm apartment in the middle of the night, with the heater on, and the television aglow; an empty pot sits on my living room table with the ladle dangling out, and the smell of dinner is still in the air. It’s a quiet night, with not much to do but sit here and think about yesterdays and tomorrows, and you in my life.

Teaching just got more difficult...

A student's right to post her Facebook page, "Ms. Sarah Phelps is the worst teacher I've ever met" is protected by the first amendment, according to a federal magistrate in Florida. This kind of scares me. I'm all for free-speech, but i'd rather not have this to walk into at work.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/ptech/02/16/facebook.speech.ruling/

The prospective JET

Someone emailed me recently asking if I would participate in an interview via email as part of a communications course that the person was completing. As I was typing out my responses, I realized that this was a good opportunity to reflect on why I came to Japan and what I expected to get out of my experience here. I also thought that this might be some valuable information for prospective applicants to the JET Programme, so I decided to make it today’s posting. I should mention that it is a bit long, and may not be relevant to many, but hopefully of some use to some. Here is the interview:




Bryce: Hi, you must be Kim? Sorry about the mess, I’ve been a bit busy lately and haven’t had much time to vacuum.

Kim: no worries. Can I put my stuff here?

B: Yeah. Grab a seat over by the TV if you like. Are you hungry? Do you want some edamme beans? Senbei? Otherwise I’ve got potato chips, and peanuts were on sale at the supermarket – so I’ve got lots of peanuts.

K: Maybe just a glass of water?

B: Of course (sound of water pouring). Here you go.

K: Thanks

B: Shall we get started then?


K: Sure, now lets see… first question: how did you hear about the JET Programme and become interested in a job as an ALT?

B: I finished a teaching degree in 2006 and found that I didn’t have too many job prospects at home. I eventually landed a job working as a teacher on call (substitute teacher), but had also looked into teaching abroad. The JET Programme was something a few people, who had some experience in Japan, had recommended. I had not made any decisions to go abroad yet, but the application deadline was quite early (November), so I thought I had better apply in case I wanted to pursue this more seriously.

Working abroad was something that I’d been interested in, but wasn’t sure if I would ever get around to doing it. At this point in my life, I wanted to make some money and to gain some experience working as an educator. As for Japan, I didn’t really have significantly special interest over other countries; for me, it was an interesting place among many. I knew some people who worked over here and had really great experiences, and I think this probably influenced my decision on Japan quite a bit. Also, the more I looked into the JET Programme, the more it appealed to me in terms of the good pay, good history, and that it would give me an opportunity to work within Japan’s public school system (as opposed to a private language school). Working in the public system was/is more appealing to me because this is where I will ultimately end up working at home.


K: How much Japanese did you know prior to arriving?

B: I started studying a bit of Japanese in about April/May of the same year that I left for Japan (in August). I purchased 6 months worth of online access to Rosetta Stone, which I think was useful in introducing me to the language in general and in working with the different sounds. It was expensive though, and I didn’t put enough time into it. Ultimately, I came over with almost no Japanese ability whatsoever. I knew how to say “hello,” “goodbye,” count to 10, and maybe 40-50 or so words, such as “dog,” or “pen.”

I was a bit surprised to see that many of the people that get hired with the JET Programme have had a lot of experience with Japanese – either through studying it in university, or through practical experience of living in Japan previously.

The program is set up so that the people working with you are obligated to be very helpful in any sort of living matters. Any housing, banking, billing issues is dealt with through them, and I often, before endeavoring on something out of my comfort zone, will consult a coworker on the best way to go about this. They may also help me with useful language that I might use in these situations.

With the Japanese that I have been learning, I’d say that Japanese is not a necessary requirement to living in Japan, but it sure helps a lot. Also, the more I learn, the more of an appreciation I have for being here.


K: Are classes typically taught in strictly English or a combination of English and Japanese?

B: Classes are typically taught in a combination of English and Japanese. I think teaching in strictly English is the overall goal of the classroom, but this is often not practical. My main school is a very academic high school, so some classes I do get away with teaching only in English. One of my other schools however, having a lesson in mostly Japanese is also somewhat common.


K: What are the main responsibilities of your job?

B: The main responsibilities of my job are to plan and implement lessons for OC1 (oral communication) classes at my schools. At one of my schools however, some teachers plan the lesson, and then use me mostly as a pronunciation expert for their lessons; another teacher, I usually plan with in the morning and we teach the lesson together.

I was also asked to run a conversation club at my main school, which I would consider to be in the realm of responsibilities for my job. We meet for 2 hours once a week – although we rarely meet during exam periods and such.

I also help in grading exams: a teacher will put a portion from each of the 320 exams my students write on my desk, and I will mark for about 2 full days. I think this will be happening tomorrow.

I also work a bit as an English consultant for students and staff. Both will approach me with questions on grammar or word choice. They generally understand that most native speakers don’t understand grammar in terms of their native languages (this is the same for Japanese people and their language), so their questions are usually more like, “does this sound right to you?” or “how would you improve this.”

Often, people will want to have a conversation to practice English or to learn about where I come from.


K: What do you like best about your job?

B: I get to work with Japanese people – young and old, and very kind, considerate, and helpful ones at that. It’s very advantageous to be able to associate with people when in a foreign country – whether working or traveling, or whatever. They are not only eager to help me live comfortably, but they are also very eager to share what they know about their country. I learn more from talking to the people around me than through any book, or from wandering aimlessly on my own.

Being in a foreign country in itself is pretty amazing; the fact that I get paid to be here seems almost too good to be true.


K: What do you like least about your job?

Being away from my girlfriend. We knew that it would be difficult, and it is. A lot of people seem to come to Japan with few ties to home – or the ties that they do have are lost or change within a few months of being here. That being said, the 6 weeks that my girlfriend were some of the best times that we’ve ever had.

I like my school a lot, but not everyone has the same situation. For example, many junior high/elementary school ALTs will change schools every few weeks or so. They end up doing the same lesson dozens of times between the schools that they go to – maybe more. I’m sure that this situation also has its advantages as well. In my situation, I’m at the same three schools throughout the year. I think that this gives me more of a chance to build relationships with my coworkers.


K: What is a typical work day like?

I usually teach about 3-4 classes in a day and have about 3 free periods, plus lunch, which compared to home, is a very light schedule. The periods that I have free, I’ll spend planning lessons, talking with other teachers, or studying Japanese. It seemed a bit odd at first to study Japanese at work, but it seems to be considered a good use of my time by most of my co-workers. My supervisor at the beginning of the year, even made a point to tell me that it is in my contract to do my best to learn the language while I’m here (something I didn’t fully realize when I first signed on with JET). And it is important; I find that any amount of Japanese helps out a lot in the classroom – or in the rest of the school, city, and country.

Also, I usually ride my bike to my main school; these days, my back has been sore and so I’ve been walking to work. It takes about 20 minutes by bike and 35 minutes on foot. With my other schools, I take a train and I catch a bus. I pay the fares up front, and then I get reimbursed later on.

I stay a bit late some days to get work finished. Sometimes, when it gets busy, the only times that students can come by to see me is after school. There are also a lot of club activities after school, which are great ways to get to know the students and to participate in Japanese activities. Aside from the English club that I run, I’ve played table tennis with students, and have been meaning to go to the shogi club for some time (Japanese chess). Some students also had Janice and me as guests for tea ceremony.

There are also periods of down-time. For example, students at my school are writing exams all week, so I’m at work right now, answering these questions.


K: What do you typically do for fun on the weekends? Did you become friends with other JETs?

B: There are a lot of other JETs in my city – maybe 20-30? In the region, it’s probably close to 100. There are always lots of foreigners to hang out with in Japan. This can be a very good thing in helping to adjust to the country. Not only do they all speak English, but many of them have also been here for a few years and can be very helpful in all things Japanese. You also learn a lot about the various countries that they come from.

I should also mention that I live in, somewhat of, an actual city, so I am within close proximity to many JETs. There are also many JETs who are more rural, and may be an hour or two away from any central location.

Your time in JET could be one big party if you want it to be. There are always people going out to an Izakaya, or having people over. It’s also typical for the Japanese teachers to invite their ALTs out for drinks during the year. When I first got to Japan, I spent a lot of time getting to know the ALTs around me and there were various functions throughout my region, which were a great way to see what was outside of my city and to meet people as well. Lately, for the last couple of weeks, I’ve spent time at home catching up on work/studying, and keeping my apartment together – which has been a nice change of pace. A lot of people spend time on the mountains this time of year.

I think that in the spring, when the weather gets better, there will be a lot more happening again in terms of festivals and gatherings and such. There are still a few cities around me that I want to visit, and I’m considering a visit to Korea for maybe a long weekend in the near future.


K: How much time off do you get for the entire year? Did you do any domestic or international traveling during that time?

B: Vacations in Japan are a bit different than at home. At home, when the students aren’t at school (i.e. summer, winter, and spring breaks), the teachers don’t have to be there either. Here, at least in my situation, teachers are always at work unless it is a national holiday (there are maybe 10-12) of these every year. Aside from those, ALTs have 20 days of paid holidays that they can use. When you can use them may depend on what is convenient for the school(s) that you work at. Generally, it is encouraged that you take you vacation time during the time when students are on vacation (i.e. summer, winter, spring break). So far, I think that I’ve used 9 days of my vacation time.

As I mentioned earlier, when I first got here, I traveled around the prefecture a bit. I didn’t travel much until my girlfriend arrived in December. While she was here, we spent a lot of time in Tokyo and went all the way down to Hiroshima. I plan on doing a few more small trips in Japan, maybe another to Korea in the near future, and then when my contract is up in August, I’m thinking of seeing some more of Asia before I go home.


K: What is the cost of living like in Japan compared to the US or Canada?

B: I think the cost of living is quite comparable to the US or Canada. In Canadian dollars, I can easily get by spending less than $10 a day on food (today I think it was more like $5) – and I eat quite a bit more than the average Japanese person. Food can vary between regions; my city is on the cost, so seafood is very reasonable – I eat a lot of fish sometimes. Vegetables are reasonable; fruit is expensive.

Most goods – electronics and such are very comparable to home – although there are some good second hand places in Tokyo where I found good camera equipment for reasonable prices. Amazon.jp can be very useful for anything from books to electronics and it has English.

Traveling in Japan is expensive. Buses don’t cost too much, but if you’re going a long ways, they can take up a lot of time. Trains are expensive, and accommodation can vary depending on how you want to stay. If you meet lots of JETs, you can often stay for free at their place if you’re willing to return the favour. Otherwise, hostels are still expensive – maybe $50 a night; business hotels are around $70-80, and it goes up from their. There are also capsule hotels and manga cafes which can be cheaper, but I haven’t looked into them as of yet.

Alcohol is cheap compared to Canada, although maybe comparable in some ways to the US?

Many ALTs have their housing heavily subsidized by their contracting organizations. Some areas have it all paid for. I think about $300-ish is pretty standard/average – if not a bit high around here. My apartment is quite expensive though. I pay almost double this – partly due to the nature of my contractor, and also due to availability.


K: Which level of school do you teach? Does JET offer an opportunity to preference?

B: I teach at the senior high school level. I don’t think the program offers so much in terms of preference, but I think that they do try to match people according to ability and experience. I find that in my area, people with previous teaching experience seem to be in the senior high school positions. Also, people with previous experience with Japanese seem to work with younger students. However, there are many exceptions to this as well.


K: You briefly mentioned your living situation in your last email to me. Do you have any roommates in your apartment?

B: Again, due to availability, I wasn’t able to get any of the teacher apartments. Many JETs live in buildings with 2 or three other ALTs, and sometimes other teaching staff as well. I do live in very close proximity to about 6-7 ALTs, and many more within a reasonable distance. My apartment is quite central within my area and I can get by without a car. There are some ALTs where not having a car means not being able to go to the supermarket. Driving can also be expensive, but can also, I think, be subsidized depending on the situation.


K: Which city are you located in? Does JET offer an opportunity to preference?

B: I live in Iwaki, which is in Fukushima-ken, in the Touhoku, or north-east part of Honshu. It is about a 3-4 hour bus ride north of Tokyo, and I think about the same distance south of Sendai.

Within the application procedure, I think there are 2 or 3 spaces for you to put in requests in terms of location. They also say that where you request will not have any impact on your acceptance to the program and that they cannot/will no guarantee that your requests will be fulfilled. I think that I requested somewhere in the Kansai region and in Nagano – no real reason why, I just did. I guess I figured it would be central. Obviously I didn’t get either of them, which is fine by me, because I really enjoy it here in Iwaki. In hindsight, I may have requested somewhere in the south so that it wouldn’t be as cold as it is now – although, it was still fairly cold in Hiroshima when we were there, and I think it gets very humid in the summer.


K: What is the JET interview like? Do you have any advice for this process?

There are three interviewers. I think they intent one to be from Japan, one native English speaker, and a JET alumini. Also, I’ve heard that one of them is usually designated the tough interviewer who asks the tough questions. For me, it was – keep in mind, most questions so far had been about “why do you want to go to Japan,” “Do you have any experience with foreign cultures,” and such; his was, “if you were to be put in an elementary classroom, what sort of unit would you put together that would not only teach English, but also share you country, keeping in mind the age and abilities of students this age.” I think they want to see you think on your feet a little. Some other questions were, “how would you feel about being placed in a small rural community,” and “what is your experience with Japan?”

It’s like any other interview – take it seriously. Wear a suit – or at least a professional equivalent. Make sure you have a good idea of why you want to be hired, what you will be expected to do, why you are qualified for the job, and show that you are enthusiastic about going to Japan. Do some research: I don’t know about where you live, but in Vancouver, almost everybody I talked to knew somebody who knew somebody that had been in JET, or at least been in Japan with some other program. I even phoned the JET people in Vancouver and they let me speak with one of the people that were conducting the interview. I think that he basically told me what I’m writing here.

I’d also recommend learning a greeting in Japanese. Something along the lines of, “Konichiwa. Hajimemashite. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu,” which translates roughly to “hello. It is nice to meet you.” and literally, “please take care of me,” or more practically, “I hope that things will go well between us.” This is a very standard and very polite/formal way to introduce yourself to someone you will be working with in Japan. If you can bring this to your interview, it shows that you’ve some understanding of Japanese formalities and that you have committed at least a small portion of time to the Japanese language.


K: What do you think the JET programme is looking for in applicants?

B: While the JET Programme is about bringing foreigners into Japanese classrooms in order to provide the expertise of native speakers, it is also about the sharing between different cultures. As such, the program looks for people who are not only enthusiastic about going to Japan, but also about their own countries. You should be prepared to show them that you have an idea of what it is about your country that you can share with people in Japan and how you might show it to them (i.e. photos are always good). I think that they referred to us as “cultural ambassadors” in that we are coming to Japan as representatives of our respective countries and that we should soak as much Japanese culture as possible in order to share when we get home.

You will also be working primarily with children/young adults. I’d say that it is essential that you show some aptitude in this area, and that some experience would definitely be an asset.

At some point, you should make a point of showing them that you have an open mind and that you are open to new experiences. Given that you will be living in a place where you won't be able to understand many of the things that happen around you, or maybe even some of the things that you yourself are required to do, it is important that you be able to keep a cool head and make the most of odd situations. The JET Programme also wants people that are capable of taking care of themselves within a foreign country. Some experience abroad would be an asset, or at least some experience around foreign languages.

And any knowledge of the Japanese language/culture is an asset.

Anyway, I think I’ve rambled on enough for today. I hope this is helpful to you and wish you the best in the future. Let me know if you have any more questions and definitely, let me know how it goes.

Perspectives on the Canadian condition

Living in a foreign country has drawn a lot of attention to me as a Canadian not only amongst Japanese people, but amongst other foreigners as well. I not only learn about Japan, but a whole host of other countries as well. While living amongst so many Canadians at home, it seemed very natural to be a Canadian, but here in Japan, the finer details sometimes come to show.

Below is a collection of anecdotes from conversations that I’ve had while living in Japan. I’ve written them as I’ve remembered them, so they may not be entirely accurate. Also, I’ve included in brackets the country in which the speaker came from. (feel free to add more)


Me: Can you pass me my touque?
Aussie: You’re what?
Me: My touque.
Aussie: What’s a touque?
Me: It’s that hat on the chair.
Aussie: Oh, you mean your beanie?
Me: No, a beanie has a propeller on top.
(Australia)


“I’ve never actually met a real Canadian before. I mean, I’ve met people from Canada, but they all live in America now.” (America) – This isn’t meant as a commentary on Americans, but more as being identified/labeled as a Canadian – this has never really happened to me before. What is a Canadian anyway?


(Upon seeing a map of Canada in my apartment): “Hey look, there she is! I’ve never really looked at a map of Canada before. Sas-kya-che-won?” (America) Again, this isn’t a dig at America. The more time I spend with Americans and have my suspicions of their ignorance to all things Canadian be confirmed, the more I realize just how little I know about the United States.


“You have the most neutral sounding accent I’ve ever heard.” (Scotland)


“Did you ever used to watch YTV.” (Canada)


“Do you like maple syrup?” (Japan)
Teacher: “What kinds of food to you eat in Canada?”
Me: Uh… sushi?
(Japan)


Me: …eh?
Them: He said it again!
Me: (Damn)
(Everywhere)

Getting it done

My correspondence test went somewhat well. I spent most of today catching up on lessons that I should have finished a long time ago. With each test however, there are a few questions that never make sense to me, no matter how many times I look up the words, or find examples throughout the book. Naturally, I usually ask a teacher for help on these questions. Because the envelope needs to be postmarked by the due date in order to be accepted by the body organizing the course, I drop it into the mailbox the night before. Today being Sunday however, I did not have a chance to check the difficult questions with one of my Japanese colleagues.

Instead, while I was buying a stamp for the envelope, I thought I’d ask the person behind the counter at 7-11. I figured she probably speaks Japanese well enough to answer a few questions on a beginner’s Japanese correspondence test. The lady seemed a bit confused at first, but quite willing to help. It took a while before I managed to communicate that I didn’t actually need to find an exit to the library in order to drink my juice and that it was a character named “B-san” who hypothetically needed to quench his thirst – and that I only needed to clarify a few verb conjugations. We had to go through them a few times and I was still a bit confused when I left the store, so eventually I decided I needed some expert help after all and I phoned a friend – albeit, not a Japanese colleague, but a fellow foreigner who’s Japanese is quite good.

Then it was under the bright fluorescent glow of the vending machine beside the postbox, where I sat and remedied a few errors. With the last minute haste involved with this assignment, I wouldn’t be surprised if I get some negative results next month. Oh well, I’m allowed one fail for the course.

Anything but

I have a lot of studying to do in order to finish my test for my Japanese correspondence course this Monday. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned before, but the JET Programme offers a correspondence course at three different levels for learning Japanese. I’m of course, taking the beginner course. It consists of six books, each containing 20 lessons and a monthly test that must be completed and mailed by the prescribed deadlines. I was doing well with the course until Janice arrived. I found that I had very little time to study while she was here and I’ve been playing the catch-up game ever since.

This weekend was supposed to be about immersing myself in Japanese in order to cram, what I need to finish this test, into my head. I even came down with a bit of a cold yesterday, which I hoped would further entice me into staying at home and in front of my books.

Learning a language however, is not really something you can learn by cramming in front of a book – at least not for me. Until I get a chance to use what I’m learning, only then will it begin to stick. Talking to myself only gets me so far.

Inevitably, I found many distractions to occupy my time today. First, there was the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. This was a bit of a necessity for me, and I’ll admit that it was on my schedule for today – although it was a bit longer than I expected. Despite a day of tragedy, technical malfunctions, and protests, overall, the show was fantastic, with a few highlights being Katie Lang’s “Halleluiah”; the crazy punk-rock, lumberjack, celtic, fiddle-playing tap-dancers; and an amazing visual feast of lights and projected landscapes. My only disappointment was that I couldn’t quite here the Canadian monologue due to the Japanese commentary over top – and I wasn’t sure there was a malfunction at the end until Janice told me (again because of the commentary).

My brain actually had a difficult time trying to keep up with all of the languages during the ceremony. The show itself was bilingual in that it incorporated both English and French – and even a few Native languages as well, while the commentary over top for me was Japanese. At some points, I don’t think my brain was even registering the English that was being spoken because I was straining to try to listen to the French and the Japanese – or to at least distinguish between which was which as they all spoke over top of each other.

Anyway, once the ceremony was over, I had to head out to refill my kerosene at the gas station. It had snowed last night and there were still a few snowflakes in the air, and I thought that I had better get some photos of the neighbourhood while the snow’s still here. Another teacher had told me that this has probably been the coldest winter in ten years and that they don’t usually get this much snow.

After taking some photos, making a run to the supermarket, making dinner, and writing a quick blog, I think I only finished about 2 lessons of Japanese today. Hopefully tomorrow will fare better.

Doing what i do

Here are a few embarrassing photos of me that i had some of my teachers take of me during my Powerpoint presentation this week. I think my camera (my point and shoot) is dying as the photos it takes are getting worse and the batteries don't last for more than 30 minutes of the camera being on.

The presentation was basically an introduction to Canada, British Columbia, Vancouver, and the 2010 Winter Olympics which begin tomorrow sometime -- depending on which time zone you live in. I begin with some information on Japan and its history in the Winter Olympics. From there i show many photos of Canada and its people, and gradually narrow in on Vancouver, where i show many of the city's highlights. I then go through the different events that the students will be able to watch and finish with a video (watch it here) that does a great job of highlighting Vancouver and the different sporting events. With all of the material in the presentation, which included several maps, graphs, and photos, i feel very confident that every student in the eight classes that i presented to, must have learned something that they didn't know before. I even had a few classes end in applause, which i think is a first for me in the classroom.

Fuji-san

 

Janice and i were in Kamakura for the insanity that was New Year's day. Thousands of Japanese people come to Kamakura on this day to pray at the many temples and shrines that are in the area. One temple Janice and i went to wasn't very busy at all. It was built up a hill, so we had to climb several stairs to get to it.

As we climbed to the temple, I saw a man taking a photo off to the side. Naturally, i walked over to see what he was taking a picture of. As i approached, he looked at me and then pointed out into the distance and said, "Fuji-san." It was fairly clear out, but still a slight haze in the air, but sure enough, in the distance, i got my first, and so far only glimpse of what i knew as "Mt. Fuji."

I believe that the most popular climbing season is in July

Well On

Everything went well today with my presentation. Teachers seemed impressed, and i had the attention of most of my students, which is a good thing. I look forward to the rest of the classes this week. I also look forward to Thursday, which is a holiday here. I haven't looked into what the holiday is, but for me, it will most likely be just a day off in the middle of the week. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Yesterday i posted a photo of my eye that i took a few months ago. It is extremely difficult to take a photo of one's own eye. This was the best i could do on a first attempt, which wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't a massive reflection of an umbrella in my iris.

 

Today's photo i took in Ueno park on the way to the National museum. I like it when things come together.

It all happens when it happens

I woke up several times last night in the midst of several dreams in which I found myself chasing something, or having left something behind. Many people believe that the emotions/feelings we go through in our dreams are often connected to what we are feeling in the real world. A common dream that many people share is to be standing in front of an audience only to realize that they aren’t wearing any pants. This dream is often associated with feelings of being unprepared for something.

I’ve been working on a PowerPoint presentation for my students this week. It’s going to be on Canada, Vancouver, and the Olympics. Not only is it a good opportunity to show the students a bit about my country and to give them some info on the coming Olympics, it’s also a good chance for me to learn more about how to use PowerPoint. Unfortunately, this has proved to be much more of an endeavour than I had previously anticipated. I’ve spent a great deal of time – I hope not to the detriment of my presentation, tweaking slides and layouts, and searching out photos on the Internet. I’ve also spent some time trying to figure out how I’m going to manage the hardware.

I think that I’ve got everything together for tomorrow, but I’ve still not been able to do a test run on all of this technology. It’s not such a comfortable place to be – hence all of the dreams. At least, that’s what I was thinking while I was riding my bike down Patterson st. in Vancouver through a swarm of bees, late for work, only to wake up in my bed at an hour that would be perfectly fine in Pacific Standard Time, yet ungodly here in Japan.

However, when I woke up in the morning, I realized that what my subconscious was stressing about was probably the fact that I forgot to set my alarm the night before.

Frantically, I caught my bus.

As for my presentation, the problem that I’m having in connecting my computer to the projector is that they use two different plugs. I managed to find a bag of adaptors in a room at school, but as it turned out, the type of plug that I use, happens to have two variants. As such, I have one of each – one that uses 24 pins and another that uses 29.

I went to the electronics store to see if I could find another adaptor, but I could only find the 29-pin adaptors, which were laid out on the bottom of the shelf. I had brought my DVI adaptor and the VGA cord that I wanted to connect it to, so I asked an employee about an adaptor that would work. With the help of a diagram on the shelf that showed the difference between the two DVI types, I showed him the problem that I had. He nodded to me like he understood me and then picked up one of the packages on the shelf that contained the wrong type. I said “no” and counted in Japanese the difference in number of pins for him and he nodded and said he understood. Then, he opened the package and tried to fit the adapter to mine while I tried to wait patiently. The piece would not fit and so the employee began to jimmy them together – and then he started to push them together with more force. I started to say “no, no,” but then just grabbed his hand and took my pieces back. I thought I better hold onto them for safe keeping. I then went back to the diagram and showed the two different types again. I pointed at the big 29 on the diagram, and the big 29 on the package and said “no, not good.” He nodded his head and said he understood and then picked up the next package on the shelf, which contained the same item. I told him “no, not good,” and he nodded and began to open the package. This went on a few more times before I left the store.

I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t find an adaptor for my computer. The other option was to use another teacher’s computer at school, but this hadn’t yet been arranged and the compatibility is still in question. My last option was that if I could order an adapter, I could maybe postpone my presentation till it arrived.

I found the item I needed on Amazon.jp, which was also eligible for free expedited shipping; if I ordered within 2 hours, it would arrive at my school the next day, which should work because my presentation isn’t until the day after. In order to make sure that I qualified for the free shipping, I made sure to order a few more books as well (just in case).

The package was to arrive at noon today, so I thought I better give the school a call to see if it arrived. Making a phone call from school is a bit of an event in that I need to ask an English teacher for help in what to say and then we need to go to the vice principal’s desk to use his phone because it is the only one with a line that goes outside of the school. He’s very nice about letting us use the phone and so I went to work.

When the lady picked up on the other end, I told her that I was Bryce and she said that she knew me. Then I asked “Amazon kara no kozukumi wa todo ite imasuka?” which I think basically asks, is there a package for me that arrived from Amazon? She sounded a bit confused and said that there wasn’t one. I was a bit disappointed, but it was only just after noon, so I asked for one of the English teachers to make some arrangements for the next day. She said that he wasn’t there and then I was the one that was a bit confused. She kept talking though about computers and school and the teacher that I was looking for and how he wasn’t there. This went on for a while and I pretended like I was sorting it out in my brain while the two teachers beside me sat and watched me awkwardly standing at the desk in the middle of the staff room. Eventually I gave up and handed the phone to one of the teachers.

After the teacher introduced herself, I could tell that the person on the other line knew her. We managed to figure out that I had not actually called my school, but the computer lab down the hall.

Japan is so strange.

Amazon.jp however, is awesome. My package has arrived and I’m going to remember to set my alarm tonight so that I can wake up extra early tomorrow and get to school and put everything I’ve prepared to the test. It should fit together beautifully, or fall apart disastrously. Once the day takes its course, either way I’ll be happy.

Hot Pot!

Just a quick one before bed. I made a poor man's nabe for dinner tonight. Nabe is a Japanese hot pot dish that is often eaten in the cold winter months, and that i've never tried to make before. I don't know why, as hot pot is one of my favorite things to eat.

You can buy pre-made broth for your hotpot at virtually any supermarket in Japan -- at least during the winter months. They're not that expensive, but I'm putting myself on a budget this month, so i thought i'd try to make my own. This is what i did:

In a bowl, i chopped up carrot, daikon, cabbage, spinach, and negi -- basically whatever vegetables i had sitting in the fridge.

Then, i boiled some water with some dashi in it. I added just enough soy sauce, mirin, sake, and some of this kimchi flavoured hot sauce that i've had in my fridge for a while.

I threw the vegetables into the boiling broth, added some tofu, and i splurged for some sliced pork as well (i was pretty hungry on this cold winter evening). Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes or so, and it was ready to eat.

After eating all of the solid foods, i added some udon noodles and re-boiled the broth. Then i ate the udon noodles.

I think that without the pork, the dish probably cost me about 200-250 yen. With the pork, it was an extra 200 yen. It was a good meal. Sorry, i was too hungry to take any photos.