So, while I've occasionally had time to belatedly think "Oh, gee, I haven't updated my blog in awhile," I didn't realize until today that I've gone nearly two months without a substantial update! I haven't been up to too many shenanigans or adventures during this time, though, for several reasons: busy working at school (and breaking three bicycles...), busy sleeping, busy organizing meetings for the summer community lessons, and busy staying inside while it's raining (usually I'd end up sleeping).
So, some of the things I've been up to, in no particular order, and occasionally with photographs. (Note to self: procrastination always ends up giving me more work to do!)
Jinnan Junior High School
I just finished up my one-term-per-year time at Jinnan Junior High School, which is far out in the northern part of Himeji. My commute, as with Hirohata, was about an hour in total for each way: first a 15 minute bus to downtown, then a 20 minute train-ride on the Bantan to Koro station, and finally a 20 minute bicycle ride uphill. Fortunately, on the way home it was a bit faster, since I got to go downhill for most of the ride back.
In Japan, you cannot take bicycles on trains or buses (unless they're the kind you can take apart and fold up into a little bag), so my school would lend me bikes to leave at Koro station. The first bike they lent me was so old and rusty, it would constantly brake every other second, making the morning uphill ride to school essentially impossible. The next bike they lent me, while also old and rusty, was in better condition than the first; it lasted about a month, before one day while riding it it's kickstand just plain rusted off. I managed to attach it back to the bicycle frame with a rubber band that was handy in my backpack, but this could only be a very temporary fix. In comes the third bike, brand new and purchased just for me! (Though the 40 minute ride from the one acceptable bike store to Koro station was... trying.) But of course, knowing my luck, I had to get a flat tire in the second-to-last week of the term! (And with two punctures in the same tire, no less!) That was a fun walk to school, with me pushing my bicycle for 25 minutes in 80% humidity.
But enough of my bicycle hijinks! What about the students and school, you ask? Well, they were fantastic! It's a much smaller school than Hirohata; only 7 classes of students, with 31-40 students per class, for a school-wide total of about 250 students. The students were good kids, very genki (healthy/energetic/lit. "displaying the vitality of good health"). Even the so-called "bad kids" were pretty harmless, albeit obsessed with learning the English words for various bodily functions. Classes often had two teachers working together, since with only 7 classes in the school at any one time, many teachers would end up spending half the day just twiddling their thumbs; I enjoyed this, though, because it was a nice opportunity to work with teachers from different disciplines on their fantastic English!
Some first term highlights:
- First Years' Welcome
- The first grade students (aka 7th graders) started school a few days after the other students, and were "welcomed" in a special opening ceremony with their parents. With the help of their senpai (upperclassman, lit. "more advanced / senior person"), the students were given their nametags and informational materials. I already knew many of these students, since these were the 6th grade students I had taught English to at their elementary schools during the last school year. After a small ceremony in the gym, the students went to have their first "class" in junior high. Basically, they met their homeroom teachers for the first time and got their textbooks. However, the parents were able to watch the "first lesson" via the open class windows facing the hallway.
- I also witnessed a first-grade welcome at one of my elementary schools, and if I had known it was happening I would have brought my camera because it was absolutely adorable. Each of the new first-graders walked hand-in-hand with a sixth-grade student under flower arches held by fifth-grade students. Afterwards, a few games were played with all of the students in the entire elementary school. It was a lot of fun! I will never forget the grins on those kids' faces as they walked under the flower arches!
- School Trip
- The third year students (ninth graders) went on a school trip to Nagasaki for almost a week; alas, I couldn't join them. From my understanding, they learned a lot about the atomic bombs and WWII, and the importance of peace (Pacifism is still a part of the school curriculum, for now). It was also a chance for them to bond and have some fun before they need to start focusing on studying for the high-stakes high school exams. Since junior high marks the end of compulsory education in Japan, a Japanese junior high diploma has the same weight as an American high school diploma. For the remainder of the school year, the third-year students will spend most of their time trying to get into the best high schools possible, which requires high scores on very difficult exams. (I'll go more into detail at some point or another about how the Japanese school system works.)
- Trial Week
- It's a tradition in middle school for second-year students in Japan to spend a week "working" at a business (these are equivalent to 8th graders); essentially, a "trial" period for them to begin understanding what the adult working world will be like. The businesses the kids can go do vary with each school, it all depends on the partnerships the school arranges. At Jinnan, with it's close location to Himeji Central Park, some students were able to work at a zoo and an amusement park. It's a pretty neat experience, and the kids get a hands-on chance to try out a career of their choice (again, within the limits of what the school can offer).
Kyoto's Kobo-san Market (again!)
But first, some photos from Toji Temple:
Toji Temple still frustrates me with how camera-shy it is.
Cute turtles sunbathing.
The hydrangeas were starting to wilt, but they were still really beautiful!
Yukata Matsuri
Himeji is famous for it's annual Yukata Festival, and so I bought a few yukata just for it! I spent the day with a bunch of exchange students, both American and Japanese, as well as other ALT's. It started in the evening, and this year was notable for the festival's unusual change in scope: instead of the typical 700 stalls, there were only 70 this year. (Rumors have it that the yakuza (aka the Japanese mafia) were prevented from participating, thus the small size this year.) Unfortunately for us, it started to absolutely pour rain within 30 minutes of the festival's start, completely soaking pretty much every person who came to enjoy themselves. Let me tell you, trying to walk in wet geta (traditional wooden sandals) is not very fun. It ended up raining all three days of the festival (curse you, rainy season!), which was a real shame. It was kind of fun, though, trying to take shelter under the awnings of buildings with tons of other people.
A photo of the crowds down one of the main arcades during the festival. You can't quite see it in this photo, but many people were wearing yukatas! I even ran into some of my students dressed in them!
Some of us ALT's enjoying ourselves about 15 minutes before we got rained on.
ALTs and exchange students! We learned how to put on our yukatas together!
A not-so-great shot of Himeji castle from that night. It's nearly unboxed!
Fireworks
I went to watch a traditional Japanese fireworks display last weekend. It was amazing! It was advertised as having over 30,000 fireworks; for almost a complete hour, there was non-stop launching of absolutely stunning fireworks. The location was Himeji Port, so it was right on the ocean (no beach, though). Tons and tons of people came, many wearing yukata, which are traditional clothing to wear during summer festivals. The Japanese associate the entire season of summer with fireworks, so they often have them at festivals this time of year; last weekend was the first of such displays that I've seen!
These two photos show the crowds gathered around the port before the sun has fully set. There were definitely thousands of people there!
I played around with my camera's "fireworks" setting, but most of the photos came out looking like odd examples of abstract art. These two, though, I thought came out really cool.
I took a neat video of one of the "sequences" of the fireworks display, to give you a taste of what the whole hour was like. (The quality had to be lowered to upload it, though.)
Misc. Thoughts and Photos
All in all, the last two months have seen me either wet, busy, or sleeping. While this particular rainy season was a bit dryer than seasons past, there were still many days where trips of any kind were ill-advised. And, I will admit, there were other weekends where I just couldn't work myself up to doing anything due to sheer exhaustion from teaching during the week. I love both of my schools, but with both having hour-long commutes, I wind up with very little time and energy at the end of the day. Still, living in Japan is the best experience I've ever had, and I'm already plotting ways to come back again after my two-year contract is up!
To wrap it up, some random photos I've taken over the last two months while wandering around Himeji:
Remember this cat? I took a photo of it was a kitten climbing a tree, and now it's all grown up (and missing an eye and half an ear, too, poor thing).
Just a cat relaxing in the shade along the castle moat!
One of the cats had a new kitten, and it was pretty adorable! Shy, too. I can usually find a cat or two hanging out by this phallic rock statue near the castle.
A lovely rainbow outside of my apartment after a day of exceptional rain. My phone didn't quite do it justice, it was much brighter in person!
The butterflies here are all so big and beautiful! I love seeing them!
Finally, I failed to capture it, but when I took this photo there was a lightning storm over the castle; great big bolts of lightning kept striking the ground next to the castle, and it looked really cool! You can also see the main characters in Himeji Castle's "Tale of Two Cranes." I can't wait until they're finished!
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