Tokyo and beyond

In Tokyo I was glad to be met by Ayako at Haneda airport and travel to her house together. I felt relief that I'd done a tefl course and taught in London, where I met Ayako, just for this moment, when I needed a friend. She lives in Saitima, about an hour away. Id been looking forward to seeing Tokyo for months, but all I could think of was Kagoshima, the sea and the inaka (countryside).

I actually hadn't been to Tokyo since I arrived in Japan, but I saw instantly that I'd been living in a different world in the south. Kagoshima- conservative, old fashioned, remote, sultry, quiet, peaceful- gave way to skyrise buildings, slutty school girls, foreigners everywhere! I could only stare, the way people stare at me in Kagoshima. Foreigners wearing suits, foreingers holding cameras, the first time I saw a girl with African and Japanese genes.

We walked from the station to Ayako's house. Somehow the backstreets are so familiar. What I would see as a tourist, and what I now see are entirely different.

That night I met my friend Alex, who I taught together with in Ethiopia. Hes working in Tokyo for a couple of months. We decided to go clubbing since it was Saturday night and I wanted to experience one of the big clubs in Tokyo. But it was too much for me. Too overwhelming, all these Tokyoites in their hipster outfits and the elite glaring throuhg the VIP section, and Western supermodels glouting, all I could think about was the beach and swimming in the sea and cycling from work to my overheated apartment to turn on the airconditioning.

The next day we slept the entire day and Ayako and I woke up for a lovely dinner with her mum- one of my favourites, okonomiyaki, which we cooked on a skillet in the middle of her living room. Ayako had work on Monday, so I took various trains towards Ueno, where theres a park and several museums. At Ueno station I saw Jenny, a girl I did my TEFL with. Wed been arranging to meet up, but it was difficult as she didnt have a phone, and there she was just walking through the station with her brother. I wasnt surprised at all. Im always lucky in meeting people at opportune moments. Three years ago, at Ueno station with Rob, I bumped into Niki, a friends friend who was a Disney Princess in Tokyo. Alex, Jenny, her brother, and I wondered around the markets. I also visited Harajuku, the main shopping sistrict, like Oxford Street and Camden combined. I wasnt excited to see Tokyo. Looking around, all the Japan stuff is not new or surprising, so all Im left with is london.

Finally by myself, I walked around some of the shops. I thought I should start to look towards london life, begin pseudo-anorexia and find some trendy togs to take back home. I appeased myself by going to the museum of modern art. After all, there were things Id missed in Kagoshima. It was not disappointing. Giant dead deer were covered in glass balls, which magnified some sections of their hair more than others. In another room I walked through curtain onto a squishy red bed-like floor and lay down to view the entrancing video being played on the ceiling.

Malaysia

Your out of Japan and it's chaos. Noisy and dirty and there is rubbish everywhere. It's an onslaught on the senses and everyone is moving and crossing the road without looking or caring, but people are smiling and touching and slapping hands. Directions are...direct, no mumbling or stammering or evasive answers or wild goose chases.

My mind is picturing tatami and a pair of chopsticks cutting into okonomiyaki and trying to pry the pancake textured meal apart, a skill I was still working on....

I realise how far Ive come in Japan and how long it would take and what a big thing it would be to start over somewhere else. How was I to know in February, when the recontracting came round (no one likes February), that leaving Japan would be the wrong decision? I watched the Ohara festival last summer. All I could think was, this isnt fun! This isnt like Brazilian Carnival... but over time you learn to pick out the things you like and avoid the things you dont. Life develops around everything that already exists there like roots finding their place in the ground. In Japan, it just takes a really long time to place those roots.

Despite my sadness to leave Kagoshima, a few days into my holiday, I can feel some binding losening. I always thought entering Japan feels a little like having ropes tied around you. Its the work ethic, the fascinating and curious number of rules: many beaches close after 5pm or at certain times of the year; impeccable behaviour, napkins folded, dont talk loudly or express yourself too strongly. But you learn to either ignore these things or adapt to them.

In Malaysia Im travelling with Kat and Kat and Kats friend Dan. Kat is from England and Kat and Dan are from New Zealand. Being in a group is a lot of fun, its everything South East Asia is cracked up to be and the food is delicious, I only wish I was returning to my life in Japan, exactly the way it was.

Speech

I didn’t have to worry about the fact that I didn’t have nice shoes to wear for the ceremony, because I had to take them off anyway. I spoke slowly and clearly, so I think all the students understood. I thought one student was crying, but she was only wiping away sweat from her face. As I looked at the crowd of 900 staring faces, I felt a jilt in the pit of my stomach, knowing it was much too soon to be leaving. I gave half the speech in Japanese. What if I stayed another year? The whole speech would be in Japanese.

みな　さん おはよう　ございます！私　は　さみしい　です。なぜ　なら　今日　は　この　こうこう　が　さいご　の　ひ　だから　です。　でも　この　いち　年間　とても　たのしかった　です。

I have had a great year at Chuo Koko. It has been very interesting to do this cultural exchange. My high school was very different.

Living in another country is very challenging. Going alone is difficult but great because you are open to new experiences and meeting new people. I believe learning a language and meeting people from different cultures is the best thing. I have learned many things and I’ve really grown as a person. I feel prepared to face my future.

In the UK, I will go to university. In the future I want to help poor people in the world. There are many changes we can make to our world.

I have really enjoyed teaching this year. I want to thank all my ESS members. We have had a lot of fun this year. Please continue ESS with your new ALT.

ESS の　members ありがとう　ございました。　あなた　たち　は　英語　が　じょうず　に　なりました。クリスマス パーティー やEaster egg hunto や monopoly の　ゲーム　が　たのしかった　です。つぎ　に　くる　ALT が　えいご　を　おしえて　くれます。

みな　さん. I have really enjoyed team teaching and talking to you in the school and in cleaning time. I will remember your cultural festival. The ikebana was beautiful and the Ghost House last year was excellent! I was also so impressed by your ouendan at sports day and I enjoyed watching the baseball.

I’m so glad that I came to Kagoshima, where it is so beautiful. You are lucky to live by sakurajima volcano, forests and the sea. I also love the small islands. This year I was lucky to visit Okinawa, Yoron, Tokunoshima, Amami, Yakushima and Ioujima.

At first, I didn't understand many things about Japan, but now I am very happy and comfortable here.Kagoshima feels like my home from home. I will miss Japanese food. I love unagi and sashimi. I won’t forget you. Good luck in your futures. がんばて　ください。

You can do an exchange in England in the future. If you need my help you can email me.
もし　いぎりす　に　きたら　私　に　イーメール　を　して　ください。

Please, please enjoy learning English. Watch English movies with Japanese subtitles and try karaoke in English.
えいご　の　べんきょう　を　たのしんで　ください。そして 英語のえいが　を　日本語　の　subtitle で　みて　べんきょうして　ください。また　英語　で　カラオケ　を　して　ください。

さようなら (Sayounara!)！

When I finished, I was presented with an enormous bunch of flowers and a summer yukata with the school name printed in Kanji.

One student from my English club painted an anime picture of me on a painting board and the other members wrote messages around it. Aiko, who often comes to chat, wrote, ‘I was happy everything!! I enjoyed talking funny storyes with you. I will go to Britain someday and I want to see you there. I will marry a foreign guy’. Throughout my last day, students brought me message boards with little notes, which I'll read over when I'm 60 more or less.

I feel terrible because I have it all. I’m happy. Tomorrow it will all disappear, and once again I will have to adjust my mind, which will still be trailing far behind me. I’ve learnt patience is a virtue only too late. Give stuff a chance. There are so many things I still want to do here. Last night I went swimming in the sea at midnight, watching the plankton glistening in the moonlight against the black sea water. A terrible rumbling caused me to think a thunder storm was coming, but it was sakurajima exploding into the midnight blue and purple night air. In the distance the lava glowed red like the cherry on a cigarette. I looked up at the sky and breathed in the surroundings. Stars lit the leafy green hills around. A shooting star rocketed in and out of sight. Life makes the best moments the most transient.

Obento

Oh Japan. Kawaii ne!

History

Many years ago, in Southeast Asia, people pickled fish by keeping it in rice for a long time. This way of preserving fish came to Japan. They developed nare-zushi, made with carp. The preparation could take up to a year. Only the fish was eaten and the rice was thrown away. After time, Japanese people decided not to waste the rice. They began to eat it after just a few days.

In the 17^th century Matsumoto Yoshiichi found that mixing vinegar with the rice was delicious. But it wasn’t until 1824 that Hanaya Yohei decided to put raw slices of fish on vinegared rice. His stall in Edo was instantly popular.

In Edo sushi shops, cooks worked behind a screen, unlike today. However, there was tatami-flooring for a few guests. Many people bought sushi in the street from boxes on men’s backs.

Japanese Language Proficiency Test

I arrived at Kagoshima University at 12:00pm and left at 4. I didn't know I even knew enough Japanese to fit into that length of time. The kanji part was fine. I grew very bored during the middle exam as it lasted a whole hour and my concentration was waning. I’d been dreading the listening, but it was OK and the last minute cramming had paid off.

It would have helped if you didn’t have to be at least the level above in Japanese to fully understand the exam instructions.

Exams are exhilarating, there’s adrenalin. I’d never paid to take a private exam before. I also wondered why one chooses to spend their sunny Sunday afternoon in this way.

Most importantly it made me realize what I already knew- learning a language is about having fun, communicating with people and watching movies and glancing at a grammar book on the occasion that you’re feeling studious (or curious)、not about hard work and pressure.

It was a relief when it was over. I cycled to the beach and went for a swim and then dried off in the sunshine.

A Happy Beppu Birthday

I celebrated the turning of 24 by yet another Kyushu road trip. With the lovely Lily, witty Anna and gregarious Gabe.

We rented a car early morning on the Saturday and decided to go the scenic route to Beppu. Although avoiding the toll roads was friendly on the pocket, it did take us 9 hours to get there.

However, a car game, like pictionary but with words, amused us for 6 hours. In any case, it's always a pleasure to drive through beautiful Kyushu.

Once in Beppu, by then already 5pm, we met Megan Prosser. For anyone who remembers her from school:

She's the one in the middle

It's a coincidence to both be on JET at the same time. We met in Fukuoka for the sumo wrestling in November. Megan is one of 3 ALTs in the country working for a private school. She gets to teach her own classes and runs a drama club.

Beppu is long famous as a pleasure resort. It has the largest number of hot spring sources in Japan. After much troubled navigation we arrived at one of them. The clay onsen was fabulous.

Immerse yourself in the water and at the bottom is lovely sludgy warm clay which you rub onto your skin for its healing properties.

We met up with some of Megan's friends in an izakaya (traditional japanese restaurant/bar) for dinner. We then headed into Oita (a much larger city 20 minutes away where Megan lives) to a gaijin club. It was a small foreigner club. But there was real music. And real dancing. An open bar with a nominal fee mixed with the heat and humidity... you can only imagine...

The next day after finally rising above the hangover we went to an onsen with a steaming waterfall and waterfall massage * Bliss * before choosing the toll roads over scenic faffing.

My birthday finished up with a delicious italian-pizza-oven-pizza at a fancy restaurant above a bakery that I've been wanting to try for a long time, but never did, secretly thinking I would save it for my birthday and then forgot about it, until I remembered on the journey home.

風衣織奈 Woman Wearing Clothes of the Wind

Day One

Sent to Ioujima again at last… This must surely be the best aspect of my job.

Another 4 hour ferry. I’ve never been on so many ferries as I have in the last year. There are hundreds of islands in Kagoshima prefecture, so people use ferries like buses.

Ioujima is the second island marked on the ferry route:

Kagoshima City is near the top of the trouser legs. The lump across the bay is Sakurajima volcano, which I can see from my bedroom window.

On the ferry I got into a conversation with an old Japanese man about Katakana- a writing system only for foreign words. It serves to keep foreign things segregated (unlike in English where we absorb foreign words) and is the woe of any English teacher, as it makes pronunciation hopeless, especially since Japanese has a more limited sound base than English.

As the ferry pulled into the port, which is a reddish-brown colour (due to a high iron concentration in the sea), I was struck by the sight of another gaijin (foreigner). It was the last place in Japan I expected to see a pink face and fair hair. As is typical of foreigners who come to, or spend time in, Japan, she was initially quite shy and withdrawn. She and her companions were curious to speak to me too. It turned out that they are staying up at the Jambe school. During my first visit I’d heard there was a Jambe school on the island, but I didn’t get the chance to investigate. I wondered why someone would come all the way to Japan from France to learn a West African musical instrument. We agreed to meet up later.

The island is also famous for its peacocks.

When I got to school everyone was very rushed, and seemed to be wearing much smarter clothes than I’d remembered from before. Arima sensei informed me that an inspector was coming from the board of education. It turned out that this inspector everyone was dying to impress was the same old man from the ferry...

I was sad not to find Hiromi, who I'd made friends with last time. She had taught Japanese but left in Spring. Arima didn’t clearly express what exactly it was that had happened, but alluded to it quite directly so as to make me all the more sure and all the more curious, in the typical Japanese style of romantic, dramatic metaphors. She hadn’t passed her teaching exams because her heart was too much like the waves. And she had had to leave after what he did to her. Did he ask her to marry him? Was it something even more dramatic?

The scenic island, by afternoon, was notably atmospheric, with torrential rain and the sea thrashing against the high dark rocks. The whole island was shrouded in misty, semi-darkness. We huddled in the old classrooms with single glazed, airy windows and creaky wooden floors. At 4pm it was kind of bizarre to have the sound of Jambe wafting over to the staffroom (the children practice rigorously every afternoon).

On the first evening we had an enkai. This is a traditional dinner party put on for the VIP. Since there are no restaurants on the island, it took place at the headmaster's house. His wife spent the entire evening in the kitchen. It was a magnificent spread: sashimi, Chinese nibbles, Korean savory pancake. What I like about Japanerse food is the style of eating- many tiny dishes, so you try everything, but never eat too much.

At first I had the feeling that I was going to sit there the whole night without anyone wanting to talk to me, but I'd forgotten about the marvelous effects of beer upon shy people and my ability to speak Japanese. Towards the end of the night, the new Japanese teacher, who is also an artist, came to chat. I was surprised to be given a small gift wrapped in brown paper. It unwrapped to reveal a rectangular wooden box. Inside was an inkan he'd carved out of marble. It bore my name in ancient kanji: 風衣織奈. He said it means woman wearing clothes of the wind.

By the time everyone started the leave, I overheard the Japanese old man inspector, by now very drunk, talking about me to Arima... Arima explained he had been delighted by me. The episode reminded me of distant fictional characters. I’d overstepped the mark on the ferry by challenging the Japanese language, but the old authoritarian chuckled to himself thoroughly bemused…

Day 2

I had a very fulfilling time teaching. The tiny kids are just….adorable (sorry, no other word for it). The classes are small and the kids are bright and lively.

The first time I came here my visit was characterized by an unsettled feeling. At Gujumaru Guest House I had a cold shower because I didn’t know how to turn the hot water on. I couldn’t speak Japanese. I had to fumble to find my futon and sheets in the cupboard and I didn’t know what time dinner was. This time I discussed with the lady what time was good for dinner and marched up to school and changed my shoes to indoor shoes and put them neatly on the rack. I wondered if people back home really walked with dirty shoes into buildings, and how strange this seemed. In ‘The Secret Garden’ when Mary Lennox first arrives at the house she is frightened and unsure of everything and disgruntled. But over time she finds the garden and the hidden treasures of Misselthwaite Manor. I have to prepare for reverse culture shock.

At the guesthouse I like getting a very typical Japanese reception. Since foreigners rarely come here, nothing has been westernized to their taste (but a little to the Japanese taste). For instance, most toilets in Japan are now western style x 1000: high-tech, with a warmed seat in winter and many buttons (which I’ve never been brave enough or curious enough to test out). Then there’s the Japanese love of mayonnaise. Ever been outraged that your sushi was covered in mayo? It’s the way they like it. I digress. I’m used to most Japanese fare now that I’m rarely surprised, and generally know what the squiggly, mushy things on the plate are. But the lady gave me clear jelly cubes that tasted faintly as though they were fermenting, and- from what I could understand- was some distant relative of tofu. Before coming to Japan, I thought only pandas ate bamboo. But I’ve eaten a lot of it here. Then there are the things I thought I’d never get used to, like raw octopus tentacles and squid sashimi. Octopus is quite alright if soaked in lime juice. In one dish you eat the pork and the bone, which has turned to jelly.

Jambe

After supper I walked up a windy island slope to the adult jambe class with two teachers from school. The story is this: the jambe teacher is from Ioujima. He went to Tokyo and felt ashamed of being from such a small place. He since spent time in West Africa, before eventually returning to Ioujima, realising that, after all, it is quite a wonderful island, and decided to give something back to the community. Now in the evenings it’s a significant feature of everyone’s lives. In the summer some people come from all over Japan to learn at the jambe school on this island of only 100 inhabitants. He doesn't ask for monetary remuneration. Amelie, the French girl, said she learns jambe in exchange for helping with the ferry exports and imports and doing some farming. Ah the life! The feeling of freedom. Definitely the way to learn Japanese rather than attending classes twice a week and spending the rest of the time sitting at a desk at work and occasionally moving. Anyway, she's been living in Japan for five years in various places and will stay here for 6 months.

Day 3

Again, more fun teaching. On the last evening Arima took me for a drive to the various beauty spots of the island.

Ioujima is ranked class A for volcanic activity. The volcano is constantly erupting, emitting massive amounts of sulphur dioxide (sometimes damaging the agriculture). And due to sulphur, the sea around the island is yellow, which is why the island is called 'Sulphur Island' (Ioujima).

First stop was a soak in the iconic natural hot spring, situated in the volcanic rock by the sea with a magnificent view and surroundings.

Then a group of artists from Tokyo arrived, unclothed and had their picture taken drinking cans of beer in the striking setting.

The English teacher on the island, Arima, was moved here by the prefecture government (they like to mix things up a bit). Although he loves the island, it’s a bit of sentence for him. Three years minimum. No privacy. Nothing to do. Only jambe. This less of a metaphor than you may think. In the past the island was used to rid society of criminals. Some of the teachers run 25km around the island several times a week. Although, training for marathons and triathlons and decathlons is quite common in Japan. At first I thought 3 days is fantastic…. but 3 years! But it’s magic here. Maybe I will come back to the Jambe school one day. Clamber over the rocks to find seaweed and shrimp for dinner.

Day 4

Goodbyes at the school were sad, so let’s not dwell on that. There’s always an assemblage of locals at the port every day when the ferry comes and goes.

On the ferry, I was just taking my shoes off to lie down on the sleeping carpet when someone from the school rushed onboard and beckoned me. At first I thought the ship was sinking, so frantically was he trying to pull me away and I noticed the cabin had emptied. He told me to leave my bag. When we got to the balcony I was handed rainbow coloured ribbon. The ribbons had been knotted in several places and stretched all the way to some girls standing on the land. As the ferry pulled away, the ribbons made a pattern in the wind. Everyone was waiving. Even the village policeman was waiving. I was full of emotion. What would happen when the ribbons broke and they fell into the water?

My eyes welled with tears. Everyone on board ran up on deck. We watched the island get smaller and smaller, with it's ring of yellow sulphur. In the water some dolphins leapt above the sea waves.

As we settled down to sleep, one of the Tokyo artists gave me some postcards of his work.

There's definitely something to be said for island life.