It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It all started when I was asked to make Christmas wreaths with the Grade Four class at Saigo Shougakkou (Elementary School) on November 30th.

The teacher soon discovered that I was being honest,
not modest, about my lack of craft skills, and
presented me with this lovely creation at day's end.

The next day, all of the ALTs from across Tottori Prefecture congregated in Kurayoshi for the annual Skills Development Conference. Not only did I get a lot of fantastic teaching ideas and inspiration...

...I also convinced Mary (originally from Portland)
to pose in a cheesy photo. 

On December 3rd, it was off to Kyoto* with Garrett, Rena, Karen...

...and our new friend, Cooper
(who we met up with at the festive Kyoto Train Station.)

A few days later, back in Tottori, my package(s) of omiyage arrived! 

over 300 candy canes from Mexico for my many teachers
(and some lucky students)

My elementary school kids got a kick out of the contents of my Show and Tell Santa stocking...

while some teachers were quite interested
in the (apparently "sexy") stocking itself. (Oops.)

At my Japanese class, I gave a presentation on "Christmas at my House", focusing on the importance of music and annual family traditions. I may have also mentioned that my dad, who generally doesn't care for it, comes to church on Christmas Eve because he likes to sing.   

I wrote this. I read this. I rocked this.
(The first two statements are true.) 

December 20th was a Tuesday, which meant staying after school for tea ceremony club. Basically, I show up, am given matcha (green tea) to drink and a variety of unidentifiable and strangely tasty okashi (Japanese sweets) to eat. Obviously, there's a lot more to it than this, but, try as they might, the two obaasans (literally, "grandmothers", a sign of respect for the elderly) who facilitate the club cannot speak simply enough for me to understand. So, I smile, mimic as many motions as possible, hope the students will take pity on me and attempt translation (which they often do), and try to limit my sitting seiza to forty minutes lest I suffer paralysis. Oh, and I do my best not to miss the last bus at 5:26 pm afterward.

  

A bling-y house on my unexpectedly epic (I took a "shortcut" ),
 but thoroughly enjoyable (three hours is a lot of Christmas carols)
walk home from school on December 20th.

On December 21st, I experienced my first bonenkai with the staff and teachers of Saigo Shougakko. Literally, "forget the year party", this gathering gives reason to eat (my first sukiyaki), drink, and pay tribute to both the good ("Echo-sensei's violin") and bad (11.3.2011) of the previous year. It's also a time for teachers (who are, at school, an extremely serious and busy bunch) to relax and let loose a little. Oh, and to break out the often impressive English language skills they'd never dream of revealing in the workplace.  

December 22nd was the last day of classes before Christmas.** After wishing the students and teachers of Mochigase Chugakko (Junior High School) a merry Christmas, I jumped in the car of my Kawahara Chugakko JTE to attend my second bonenkai. Destination? The Asanoya Hotel in Yumura, Hyogo. Purpose? To eat, drink, and be merry!

The trickiest part of the meal was trying to eat
the crab -- a messy business!

After dinner, we checked into our rooms before heading to the nijikai (or "afterparty") at the hotel bar where I may or may not have been persuaded to sing "A Whole New World" and a Beatles medley with an incredibly energetic and enthusiastic P.E. teacher. 

Before we knew it, it was after midnight. Time to onsen!***

post-onsen, pre-sleep on a traditional tatami mat

Despite not going to sleep until after 1:30 am, we were up, undressed, and back in the steamy water before 7 am. It was snowing big Charlie Brown snowflakes, so we opted to bathe in the outdoor pool. It was so lovely that I managed to forget that we'd woken up before the sun for the sole purpose of relaxation.

At 8 am, washed, brushed, dressed, and refreshed, my four colleagues/sleeping buddies and I headed downstairs to join the rest of the teachers for breakfast. The hearty meal consisted of miso soup, several kinds of fish, rice, a poached egg on salad, Japanese-style pickles, and a sweet seaweed goop -- all washed down with freely flowing black tea that, for once, I drank readily, seeking a bit of a caffeine boost.

Then, we five went back to our room, where we watched tv, drank more tea, and chatted in English and Japanese.

room with a view

After checking out of the hotel, several of the teachers decided that I needed to experience onsen tamago. So, after purchasing half a dozen eggs (one for each of us), we headed down to the designated area to boil those babies in the naturally hot water.

They insisted I do the honours.

While we waited five minutes for the eggs to boil, we took a quick look around.

a recyclable Christmas tree

onsen tamago!

After eating our deliciously warm eggs, it was time to go...

Check out that steam!

...but not before I had the chance to fold an origami paper crane (my first ever!) for Hiroshima.

Can you guess which one is mine?

Good-bye, onsen tamago!

Good-bye, Yumura!

Back in my own bed, I woke up on Christmas Eve morning to snow!

view from my balcony

I spent the day listening to Christmas tunes while cleaning my apartment and making yuzu jam.

Not especially attractive, but oh-so-tasty!

That night, Karen and I were warmly welcomed at the local Lutheran church, where we attended a candlelight carol service (complete with hand-bell choir.)

Christmas Eve bulletins have a universal look. 

With the help of a Japanese friend, we were even able to sing along to the three hymns -- a fact that both surprised and delighted us!

"Angels We Have Heard on High", "Silent Night,"
and "Joy to the World", respectively 

Christmas morning, I woke up to...even more snow!!

view from my front door

Karen snapped photos happily all the way to the bus station. Her enthusiasm was not only contagious, it also reminded me of the excitement of the two Brits I lived with last year in good ol' Rivière-du-Loup, Québec.

Tomiyasu (our street)

A few hours later, after a 10:30 am church service we mistakenly thought was Catholic (but turned out to be Protestant), it was still coming down! 

Umbrellas are acceptable protection for rain,
 snow, or shine.

After a bit more tidying and some Christmas Eve (their time) Skyping with the family, our guests started to arrive.

At one point, there were seventeen
pairs of shoes at my door!

Me & Miku

After an afternoon of mulled wine, Chai tea (from Canada!), and hot chocolate, Jenga, poker, and Pictureka! (another of the many presents impressively packed into a Rice Krispie box from home), and everything from fried chicken and tempura shrimp, to chocolate cake and gingersnaps, to curries of both Indian and Japanese varieties, we headed out on Wakasa Kaido...to eat again!

But first, a photo-shoot with several snowmen some teenage boys had built near the train station.

This is Anpanman.

city sidewalks, busy sidewalks

Later that evening, with all of my guests either on their way home, or tucked cozily into uninhabited apartments in my building (thanks to the generosity and forethought of those who'd gone away for the holidays and given their blessing and apartment codes to me), I logged onto Skype shortly after 1 am to unwrap gifts with the Fettes family in Regina, Calgary, and California.

It was a bit complicated...

...sometimes frustrating... 

and, needless to say...

hilarious!

I didn't get to bed until after 3:30 am, but it was so worth it!

The next morning, my alarm went off at 8:17 am. I jumped out of bed, turned on the heater, put on a Santa hat, and started making blueberry pancakes in preparation for a few guests who would soon be arriving for Boxing Day breakfast before heading back to their respective homes. 

After all of the hustle and bustle and holiday food, I set off for my beloved Ochidani Park, wanting to indulge in some Canadian radio while taking in the beauty of my current home.

Appropriately, that week's episode of "The Vinyl Cafe" had been recorded at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina. Listening to Stuart McLean's sentimental stories and Hawksley Workman's seasonal songs made this...

all the more beautiful.

Heart-warrmed and drippy-nosed (blowing in public is considered uncouth in Japan, and, as a result, I have largely stopped carrying tissue), I returned home...

to admire my Christmas tree,

snack on some holiday trail mix (complete with left-over
M & Ms that Jessica, one of the American ALTs, had brought),

and enjoy the new holiday greeting arrivals. 

All in all, it was a very merry Christmas!

* Photos coming!

** Although Christmas isn't actually a stat holiday in Japan, December 23rd (the Emperor's Birthday) is.

*** There is a ton of information online about onsen. I'm lazy, so I'm not going to get into it here. Basically, it's a big pool filled with naturally hot water originating from geothermal springs. It's super relaxing and incredibly popular, and, oh, you do it naked. 

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Dear God,

I lead such a blessed existence. I don’t know why you are so good to me, or how my life factors into the grand design, but I am so glad and grateful for my time in this gorgeous, glorious universe of yours.

Thank you for your tangible presence throughout this month, and especially over the past few days. Time and time again, I have seen you in the faces and actions of those around me. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.

As you well know, I am currently facing one of the biggest decisions of my life. (Twenty years from now, the previous statement may read melodramatic and trivial, but, in this moment, it could not be more meaningful or true.) Commit to another year of unfathomable curiosity, change, and challenge, or head for the nearest and dearest green grass of home?

Never one to make a quick decision, this dilemma is, without question, resulting in the most excruciatingly extended list of pros and cons I’ve yet to write.

Long story short, friend, if you have any grace or guidance to give, I am all ears.

Until then, I remain most gratefully yours,

Echo

P.S. Happy belated birthday!

My Grown-up Christmas List

It's a sad day when you're too big to sit on the old man's lap.

Dear Santa,

I want:

-          time to stop while I’m sleeping so I can recharge without losing a precious minute of daytime possibility.

-          decisiveness. Whether relational, vocational, or geographical, I struggle to make decisions both large and small. Although I rarely lose any sleep, I do spend hours making lists of pros and cons on matters such as, “should I stay in Japan another year?”, “Should I register for nursing and get on a career path before I’m 30?”, “Should I let this angsty, hormonal teen know that I know what “eigo baka”* means or should I just smile and play dumb?”

-          more of the heart-melting moments that make the enormous language barriers in an elementary school classroom so worth it.

-          the world to know what a wonderfully supportive family I have and how grateful I am to call them mine!  

-          to watch three consecutive Christmas movies from the comfort of my bed.

-          to be able to sit seiza for the duration of a tea ceremony without my lower limbs screaming for blood or failing to hold my weight afterwards.

-          150 lbs of Mars bars, reasonably-priced apples, and old cheddar cheese.

-          a robot that does housework. Yes, I live alone. Yes, my apartment is cozy. Nevertheless, I still want one. Don’t you?

-          to go to church on Christmas Eve without feeling like an intruder.

-          more music-making. However, I also want to stay on good terms with my neighbours. So, what I really want are the words to explain to employees at a nearby karaoke spot that I’d like to rent a room in which to practice.

-          to be fluent in Japanese. Preferably upon waking up Christmas Day morning.

-          a sense of direction. I can’t say for sure, having never had one, but it seems handy.

-          more laughter, more challenges, and more growth throughout the coming year.

-          and, finally, as always, I really, really want a teleporter. Seriously, think about it. It would make both of our lives a lot easier!

Your not-so-grown-up friend,

Echo

*English idiot

Autumn's Here

Entrance to Ochidani Park

A thinking place

A freak downpour...

...followed by a hint of rainbow.

"The trees they grow so high..."

...and still I cannot read.

The K-Car: especially popular with ALTs.

This blooming bush missed the memo (or maybe it doesn't understand Japanese.)

(un)Building a Mystery

I live in a land...*

-          where manly teachers don “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” aprons to eat lunch with their elementary school students.
where fourth-graders school me in reading, writing, geography, and pear-peeling.

-          where a junior high school choir’s crescendo darn near causes my heart to explode.

-          where teachers occasionally swat disobedient/disruptive/disrespectful students on the hand/head/behind, but rarely raise their voice.

-          where is it not uncommon to see junior and senior high school students in their school uniforms on week-ends. In fact, it is uncommon to see them wear much else.

-          where even the punkiest and jockiest of junior high school boys lean on and drape their arms around each other affectionately, seemingly oblivious to their female counterparts.

-          where fifteen-year old boys want to know if I wear a wig, their female classmates intently stroke the hair on my arms, and their elementary school-aged siblings sit behind me on the bus whispering to each other about my kiniro (golden) hair moments before surreptitiously trying to tug out a souvenir strand or two. 

-          where the supposedly ubiquitous “shyness” of students takes effect the moment class begins and ends, rather coincidentally, with the bell.

-          where students’ periodic power-naps are sometimes permitted.

-          where eight hours of sleep is a luxury. For everyone.

-          where people in power lead by example, meaning that principals sweep during soji (cleaning time) and get dirty like everyone else.

-          where I describe countless places, events, and objects as kire (beautiful) because I am not especially funny, intelligent, or articulate in Japanese.

-          where I suspect that the reason I am perpetually described as kire is because I am not especially funny, intelligent, or articulate in Japanese.

I live in a land...

-          where a good bow is as important as a firm hand-shake back home.

-          where observation is my ally, and music my super-power.

-          where people professing to speak “no English” are often far more capable of carrying on a conversation in my mother tongue than I am with the minimal Japanese they praise me for knowing.

-          where enkais and naked communal bathing (gender-specific, of course) are two popular and widely-accepted forms of team-building.

-          where liquid courage, or nommunication**, results in one of my (otherwise non-English-speaking) bosses and I having a lengthy late-night “chat” that, I kid you not, consists solely of snippets of Simon and Garfunkel songs.

I live in a land...

-          that runs like a well-oiled machine, where public transit is tidy and timely, where everyone seems to know their place and purpose, and where every decision is discussed, considered, re-considered, and agreed upon before any action is taken.

-          where the stifling of individual desires is the accepted price of universal harmony.

-          where life is neatly compartmentalized into “work” and “play”, “public” and “private”.

-          where, as a civil servant and one of few blue-eyed, blond-haired folk, I sometimes feel, as one sempai (upper-year ALT) put it, “like a panda in the zoo.”

I live in a land...

-          where adults go about their daily lives in such a way as to draw the least amount of attention to themselves, thereby disturbing those around them as little as possible.

-          where surgical masks are worn by the sick trying to prevent spreading their contagion and by the healthy hoping to stay infection-free.

-          where delicious “Christmas” mandarin oranges appear in the grocery store prior to Halloween, along with gaudy decorations and nauseatingly peppy holiday muzak.

-          where spending 640 yen at the 100 yen (i.e. dollar) store can inexplicably result in a ten-pack of free eggs.

I live in a land...

-          that simultaneously clarifies and confuses, challenges and amuses, irritates and inspires, exhausts and excites, disgusts and delights, stretches and stresses and warms my heart while blowing my mind. 

-          where I do my best to “when in Rome”, yet still manage to unintentionally make the most awful and offensive faux-pas (commonly known as “gaijin-smashing”***) on a near-daily basis.

-          where learning to trust is often smarter and always simpler than trying to understand.

-          where small but significant acts of kindness never fail to occur when I least expect and most need them.

-          where, every day, another aspect of life loses a little more of its mystery and makes a little more sense.

*A reminder: I live in Tottori. This is the land to which the following points refer. I make no attempt to comment on life in Tokyo or in any other place in Japan that I’ve yet to visit.

**Please visit this blog for a thorough description: http://japanconversation.blogspot.com/2009/02/nommunication.html 
(I can't figure out how to link this, so please copy and paste it into the browser. For those less technologically-savvy than I, my apologies!)


***I am constantly adding to the list. The question is whether or not I want to admit to everything on it.