Japanese Hospitality

Hello, friends!

I am sorry that I am getting behind in updating this blog.  Working abroad, I'm finding, is quite different from studying abroad.  When I come home from work at night, I'm usually ready to just unwind a little, make some dinner, and watch some TV (online) or read a book.  If you remember my study abroad experience in Ireland, I certainly didn't work too hard in my classes, so teaching English to non-speakers takes a lot more energy that study abroad classes.  I am learning so much about not only teaching through this experience, but also about having a real job, paying real bills, really managing my money, and really being responsible.  I've always been pretty responsible, but it's like I'm a real person now - it really matters because my employers and students depend on me!

For those of you who have seen my Facebook pictures, I had an incredible weekend last weekend.  We laid low on Friday night and stayed in for a movie night, which was really relaxing and necessary.  On Saturday, I met two of my students for lunch.  They are the students I teach on Saturday, and I had to work last weekend (I work every other Saturday), so I ended up spending a lot of my day with them.  We went out to one of my favorite restaurants in Tsu - the Indian curry restaurant - and I had delicious chicken curry and nan.  They are so much fun to hang out with, and we laughed and talked a lot.  I introduced them to my connection to Little House on the Prairie, a very popular show in Japan.  They were so excited that I live so close to Walnut Grove and that I've been to the Wilder Museum and Pageant!  I really enjoy spending time with my students outside of class and getting to know them personally.

On Saturday night after I taught two classes, I joined Peter, Sarah, and Sarah's student Yoshiko for a traditional Bon dance.  The small festival was located in her neighborhood just a short walk from her house.  As soon as we got out of the car, she pulled me into her hair salon, sat me down, and braided my hair.  Next, she pulled me into her living room (most Japanese business owners live in houses located behind or above their shopfronts) and dressed me in a traditional Japanese yukata, or summer kimono.  It was such an awesome experience.  I mean, how many people get to go to a real Japanese home and have a Japanese friend dress them in a yukata, on a tatami mat floor and all?  After I dressed, we walked to the Bon dance.  The only thing I can compare it to is Native American dancing.  We moved around in a circle and did very simple hand and leg motions.  The Bon dance is to celebrate and honor ancestors who have died and to welcome them back for their yearly visit to their descendants.  It was a magical night; we danced underneath the moon and Japanese lanterns, and we smiled and laughed with new Japanese friends.  I am learning so much about how few words need to be said in order to truly enjoy another's company. 

After the dance, we all received tissues and bread (I have no idea why), and then we walked back to Yoshiko's for the biggest dinner I could've ever imagined.  She served us a huge piece of tofu, a hug slab of beef, huge shrimp, countless vegetables (including sweet potatoes!), and about three different kinds of fruit.  I haven't eaten that much in ages.  Afterward, we sat around and looked at pictures of her and her husband's travels around the world, particularly South Africa and Mexico.  She also sent us home with two bags FULL of fresh fruit, and she gave us the yukatas to keep.  She is the most generous woman I have ever met, and it is even more amazing because she treats people she hardly knows as family and expects nothing in return.  I hope I can bring a little bit of her Japanese hospitality back to America.

On Sunday, I went to mass and caught up with a few of my church friends and then headed to the Toba Aquarium with Peter.  Toba is about an hour away by train, and it was a really great, leisurely day.  We saw a sea otter show every single exhibit in the aqarium, and I bought my first cell phone charm: a shamrock.  Toba is also famous because it is the place where pearls were first discovered and harvested.  I will definitely return to Toba after a paycheck or two and check out the Pearl Island (where we can watch people dive for pearls) and do a little shopping.  We topped off our day with a little gelato at a cute Italian cafe.

Oh, and I think my body has officially adjusted to the insane heat because it takes a lot longer for me to start sweating now when I go outside and a lot less time for me to cool down, but I am worried about what that will mean when winter rolls around.  It only gets down to about freezing here, but compared to this heat, I'm afraid it might feel like Minnesota.

School is in full swing back in the States!  How's it going?