The Guide

I didn't have time to post a blog last week. I had my dad and his wife over at my place and I was trying not to get too absorbed in the internet with them around. I will probably be doing much the same thing around the same time next week due to the fact my mother will be around then.

Having company has helped me realize how many things around me that I once thought of as unusual or different have become common and normal to me.

For example, drink vending machines in places where they seem entirely pointless. I got very used to seeing them, so I no longer realized how silly it was that they were placed there.

Something else that was unusual about having company was my role as a translator. My level of Japanese certainly didn't rise when they came to Kagoshima, but being in the position of "translator", Japanese people seemed to be more confident in my ability to communicate with them. Maybe because instead of being annoyed that I didn't bring someone better at Japanese, they are grateful that my father did. When I think about it, it really makes sense.

This was a really great chance to check out some really awesome things in the area. I'll be uploading pictures on my facebook album sometime soon (but not right now because I am at work.) I am looking forward to doing more discovering of my host prefecture when my mom gets here.

I am truly impressed by the extent to which this prefecture has both beautiful places to see and a very interesting history. (Although I imagine most places do if you bother to find out.)

One of the highlights for me was when we went up to a park not too far of a drive from my apartment building and was surprised and delighted to have a view of the volcano, Sakurajima.

I know this is supposed to be a blog to make up for three weeks, but I really honestly don't know what else more to say.

Graduations and transfers

So, it's March. Students are graduating and ending their school years.

I heard the high schoolers graduated maybe a week or so ago, middle school students graduate tomorrow, and the elementary school graduations are coming up. College graduations somewhere in there, but I am not sure exactly where.

In April, everything starts over new. College graduates start their jobs they got while they were still students and other students move up into the next year of school.

I was kind of upset yesterday because I didn't get to go to a graduation ceremony. My schedule was written in a way that I was scheduled to be at an elementary school yesterday. I didn't want to cause people trouble by switching it because I wasn't directly invited to either of the Junior High graduation ceremonies, so I missed them entirely.

It's sad for me because when I had my last classes with the 3rd year students, I wasn't aware of that it was the last. Then, I wasn't able to go to their graduation. I might see them around town sometime, but it makes me sad that I might not see some of them again.

On the other hand, I am excited to have my 6th grade elementary school students become my new junior high 1st year students.

It's kind of amazing to have this happen, in a way.

But it's not just students. Teachers and other people who work for the city also are transferred in April.

Up North, I heard, it is not such a big deal to be transferred across the prefecture. However, Kagoshima is a very different story. Kagoshima is a relatively big prefecture itself, but considering the outlying islands transferring someone in Kagoshima is NOT a small thing at all. Some islands are so far that people would have to take a place to get to the mainland!

Yet they do it. I guess it just goes to show that the same policy does not work everywhere.

The crazy thing about all of this is that the teachers themselves don't even know for sure if they are moving and where to until just a few weeks or so beforehand.

I spoke to some teachers about it today and they are somewhat secretive about it. There are teachers that have a pretty good idea that they will be moved, but they have no way of knowing for sure.

This -really- puts my whole stressful JET application process in perspective. Yes, that was insane, but nowhere NEAR as insane as not knowing when you will live in just a few weeks.

It must be really, really hard.

It makes me wonder why anyone would -want- to be a teacher in Kagoshima knowing they could be moved from a pretty good place to an isolated island.

I am a sad that some really good people I know are being transferred, but I am also excited about the new school year. My feelings are definitely mixed.

Born yesterday?

It is so funny how so many people here are so quick to assume that I don't know what I am doing at all.

Take, for example, last weekend at the coin laundry.

It was a particularly busy day and, unfortunately, I brought a blanket and some sheets to wash as well as my usual clothes. All of the high capacity washers were being used. So, I was standing there, wondering what to do when I realized after looking at some charts that I my blanket and sheets could probably be put in the smallest machine and be just fine.

I stood there pondering whether I could be right. I don't really know kilograms well enough to know just from a number. (To be honest, I don't know pounds well enough, either. :) )

So a guy walked into the laundry place and I simply asked him if he thought that my blanket and sheets would be too heavy or not. He thought it would be ok.

But then after that he proceeded to try to show me how to use the machine.

This machine, being the same as the ones I've been using every weekend except just a little smaller.

And also being remarkably similar to machines in my home country.

(haha)

Really, though, I get things like that a lot.

It's always a little annoying at first, but it's not so bad when you think of the real reason why it's happening. What it comes down to is that the person doesn't think that foreigners are stupid, they actually just don't know enough about foreign countries. They know that a lot of things are different, but as far as they know, washing machines in the US are completely different from those in Japan.

So really, no wonder some people seem very surprised that I can function here at all.