Japan 1: Cameroon 0
For Japan’s World Cup Opener, I was at home, alone, wearing my blue jersey. Apparently, none of my friends in Hanoi were interested to watch Japan compete (???). That’s a shame because the game was really exciting. And at the end of 90 minutes, Japan WON!!!! In a World Cup which has started off with a heck of a lot of tie matches, this is BIG for Japan on so many levels.
As the pre-game coverage unfolded, I couldn’t help but remember the 2006 games and a bar in Fujieda called the Skin Flute. The first game of the World Cup was a heartbreaker, losing 3-1 and in the last 8 minutes to Australia. Great for our friend Peter, but pretty sad for the rest of the bar, as it really looked like Japan would take the game, until Australia put in some fresh legs at about minute 76.
In last night’s match, Japan played amazing defense, and were aggressive on offense too. They still don’t play as fluid as the Europeans, making lots of standing passes, but not a lot of running passes. Both teams displayed an extraordinary level of drama. Lots of fake falling and injuries. I can’t stand that about soccer. I do think Japan will take Denmark, but Holland will be a tough match, for sure. Especially since Holland is largely thought to be a huge contender to win the World Cup. Having said that, the J-Boys look ready, fit and full of Samurai Spirit. I loved that underneath those ear-piercing vuvuzela horns, you could hear the beating of the taiko.
While I was watching the game last night, I couldn’t help but think back to my life in 2006. My, how things change. In so many ways my life has moved on from that point, but at the same time, there is so much of me that longs for a bar named the Skin Flute, an amazing group of friends filling up the seats, all those Japanese cheers, and Kawaguchi between the posts.
Japan stories coming soon!
I’ve just returned from a most fantastic two weeks in Japan. I jotted down lots of notes and journal entries, and will be sure to post my stories and photos soon. I needed to finish the re-design of my website first and then I’ll spend some time this week to update the blog.
To all my amazing J-friends – THANK YOU!!!
You are the reason Japan is such a special place for me, my 2nd home, and why it was so terrific to be back, even if for two short weeks. I love you, I miss you and you remain in my heart.
Stories and photos to come soon! Here’s a teaser:
My beautiful girls! – No doubt, one of the highlights of my vacation in Japan was the visit to the junior high school so I could meet with all the kids I used to teach. A great day!
私は日本に来ています!!!!
Just a notice to all my J-friends. I AM COMING TO JAPAN!!!!
I CAN’T WAIT!!!
It’s been nearly three years since I left Japan and my schedule has worked out to allow me to visit in May. I am so excited, I can hardly stand myself! Will two weeks be enough? Will I want to stay forever?
I arrive May 10th and leave May 22nd. I am in the process of emailing everyone and scheduling visits. I can’t wait to see my friends, my coworkers and my munchkins (who will not be so small now that they are teenagers!). I can’t wait to see my handsome boyfriend, Mt. Fuji! I can’t wait to see YOU!!! If you want to contact me regarding the visit, please send me an e-mail. You can click HERE to send me one.
楽しみにしています。ねえええええ!!!!!!
ひさしぶりです!
Today is a day when I am missing Japan. Perhaps it’s the lingering heat here in San Diego. I know in J-land right now, the mornings are getting chillier, the days are pleasant before the night cools off again. Autumn foods are starting to appear on plates. The rice is being harvested. Sometime around the 20th of this month, Fuji-san will get his first snow. Soon after, the trees will be “on fire” as the leaves turn. I’m missing the tiny little signs of nature that are ever present in Japan.
So, to fill my void, I browsed the online newspapers, The Japan Times and the Daily Yomiuri. Always a good way to see what’s happening in the land of sushi. As I read some of the articles, I memories flash before me, faces of my students, a party at a restaurant, my bike ride in the morning, kind gestures from my coworkers, my cozy little apartment. I can stand on a street corner where I take in all the sights and sounds and smells. If I close my eyes for just a moment, I am there again. No matter how short, I love the visit. I do miss Japan something fierce!
While browsing through the Daily Yomiuri, I came across the column, Troubleshooter. Aaaah, yes. I forgot how much I LOVE these! It’s the “Dear Abby” of Japan. Except that the same person does not respond to all the questions. They have celebrities, lawyers, writers, doctors and such who respond. It’s brilliant. They get away with some terrific answers! Here’s one:
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Troubleshooter/Husband used as chauffeur
Dear Troubleshooter:
I’m a housewife in my 40s. My husband takes some lessons on weekends and goes to class by car since it is far from home.
But two of his friends in the same class ride with him. One of them makes her husband drive to our place before changing to my husband’s car.
The other person can drive and has a car of his own, but he also shares my husband’s car.
Although my husband drives them all the time, these two people have never paid for gas. Am I wrong to think they should drive their own cars or pay for gas sometimes?
I feel angry when I see these people, who take it for granted that they can use my husband’s car. My husband says he can’t and won’t ask them to pay for gas. I have been putting up with this, but I can’t take too much more.
I, Tokyo
Dear Ms. I:
I can understand your feelings in a way. But as for your husband, I think doing nice things for his hobby friends gives him a pleasant feeling that money cannot buy.
You are not shouldering any additional financial burden, since your husband drives the car to go to the class anyway.
Having a generous wife who isn’t seen to complain about every little thing might even increase his esteem in his friends’ eyes. So that may be why he will not ask his friends to pay for gas.
Why don’t you let it pass and allow your husband continue to be viewed as a kind, dependable, good man?
You will be annoyed if he changes into someone who is grumpy, never goes out and always hangs around at home on weekends.
Don’t you think you also are enjoying invisible benefits thanks to his kindness or his attitude of trying to be a good man? You might be envied for having such a kind husband. We tend not to be able to see what we really have, although we can see very well what we don’t have.
Please have your own enjoyable time, just like your husband does.
Megumi Hisada, writer
Please have your own enjoyable time. I love my J-people!
なつかしいぃぃぃ よ!!!
On the Bright Side,
Shanna
I miss Japan!
Every once in awhile I get these terrible pangs of homesickness – for Japan. They come in strong bouts when I receive letters from my students or e-mails from my friends.
I heard from Mayu that she had her little boy, Leo. This is her and Joel’s second child. Little Hannah is going to be a great big sister!
I heard from Noriko, who is a friend and fabulous teacher I worked with. She tells me that English will be taught in all Elementary schools come 2011. This is terrific news, considering many Japanese feel that students need to focus on learning Japanese in elementary school, not English. This means that the three-year pilot program I worked on with the Board of Education, was greatly convincing! I worked with my colleagues to create the elementary school curriculum.
To further prove that English is best taught in elementary school, I received letter from my students. My sweet angels. Oh, how I miss them. Cute Kaito is now in sixth grade. He gave me his address on my last visit to the school and said, “My address. Please, letter.” And so we’ve exchanged letters, and I sent him a postcard from Vietnam. This has all been in Japanese…until now. His letter said in part,
I like new English class but I want to take your English lesson soon.
Oh how my hear bursts with pride! Many of my students are now in junior high. One of the teachers I worked with, Sugimoto Sensei, transfered to the junior high from the elementary school and so she does letter-writing projects with the students to help them practice their grammar. Guess who gets their letters? Meeeee!!!! ;p
The second graders (like 8th grade) are working on past tense. So I was pleased to see things like,
I played table tennis.
I enjoyed my class.
I practiced basketball.
Nice, huh? I also learned that a few of my students “have a boyfriend” or “have a girlfriend.” They’re fourteen! I feel so protective!
Sugimoto Sensei must have also taught them the word “hard” because the students were all too eager to tack it on to the end of most of their sentences..
I played track and field very hard.
I read many books very hard.
I studied English very hard.
I studied math very hard, too.
Um. Yeah. Need to send some notes back to Sugimoto Sensei to correct the usage. Bless their hearts – they’re making complete sentences! My favorite letter came from Daichi. In it, he explains,
I drank eleven milk. It is new record. Next day, I was sick.
That one had me rolling when I first read it. I can just picture the class at lunch, giving their milk cartons to Daichi to drink and laughing after he finished each one. Clearly, if this is a new record, he must do this often.
The first graders (like 7th grade) also wrote to me. This is the last group of kids, and my favorite group of kids that I taught. This is the first time for me to receive letters from them. My most darling student Hideto, who I also corresponded with wrote,
I’ve missed you. Many letter, thank you. I’m so happy!
With my buddy, Hideto – This was my last visit at one of two elementary schools. I made sure to take a photo with my favorite student, Hideto. What a cutie!
I just want to squeeze the little angel! I really enjoyed the letters from this group of students. They did so well in English, and were always so much fun to teach. Some other funny sentences included,
He likes pooh. (Referring to Winne the Pooh which the Japanese call Pooh-san.)
He loves chocolete, cake, ice cream, pudding, many many many sweets.
I want a dog and two tortoises.
I eat cheeseburgers. Shanna eats cheeseburgers, too. (This was the running joke with my kids.)
She likes cake, but she doesn’t like onions.
I don’t like green piece. (She meant peas!)
I like English because you taught me English.
Can I just tell you how much my heart bursts with pride when I read this? These kids could only say “hello” when I met them. We studied English twice a week for two years, only listening and speaking. And after just two terms in junior high, they can write so much of the English we practiced together in elementary school! I am so insanely proud of them!
And so, this is what makes me want to jump on the next plane to Narita and go and see my J-friends and students. I hope they understand how much of an impact they have made on my life and how often I think of them and how committed I am to visiting those kids before they graduate from junior high. Did I mention how proud I am? :p
On the Bright Side,
Shanna
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