Even with the patches of brown, this landscape is a sight for sore eyes.
05 October 2006
Welcome to Hokkaido
It's about time for me to post the pictures from my second trip to Hokkaido, back in July of this year. I'll start with a picture of our arrival at the (very small) airport in Obihiro.
03 October 2006
Japanese models in Japan? That's so 1950s...
Unlike many ex-pats here, I try to avoid Japan-bashing when I can. After all, Japan is Japan, and the U.S. is the U.S. But I’ve noticed something there that’s really starting to irk me.
If you look at the advertisements in this country – TV, magazines, subway, etc. – you have to be amazed at the sheer amount of foreigners that adorn them. Go into a clothing store, and see pictures of foreigners wearing Japanese-made clothing. Watch TV, and see foreigners drinking alcohol only made in Japan, or driving a made-for-Japan automobile in the streets of Japan. (It should be noted that 99% of the time, these foreigners are Caucasian.)
In addition to that, I guarantee you that if you look at any advertisement or catalog advertising pajamas, underwear or lingerie, 9 times out of 10, the models will be (white) foreigners. (And not the type of mature models we see in the States, either; usually they’re skinny and high-school-student-looking.)
This drives me crazy. After all, this is Japan, where about 95% of the population is ethnically Japanese. Why in the world do a disproportionate number of ads have foreigners? What makes Japanese advertising companies want to whip up ads with white people?
I truly don’t understand this, even though I’ve heard two reasons for this. a) Japanese have an inferiority complex, and b)Japanese think foreigners look more beautiful. I don’t by any of that. First, the Japanese I know always defend their customs and heritage. They tend to not bash themselves (unless they’re talking about yamanba). Second, there are plenty of beautiful Japanese out there. How many girls want to be like Ayumi Hamasaki, and how many girls drool over those stupid Johnnies boy bands?
My family and relatives used to subscribe to prominent African-American magazines like Jet and Ebony. You would see nothing but blacks in the ads, whether its McDonalds or Buick. Could you imagine the outcry if they instead had white models, or Hispanic ones? Back home every now and then, I would watch Univision or Telemundo, just for kicks. The commercials, 9 times out of 10, had Hispanics in them. What if they started to put Asian models in them? Do you think Hispanics would be satisfied?
Maybe it’s just me, but it just makes sense that if you are going to target a group of people, you want your ads to represent that people well. Apparently, many Japanese advertisers have a different philosophy, one I can’t figure out.
If you look at the advertisements in this country – TV, magazines, subway, etc. – you have to be amazed at the sheer amount of foreigners that adorn them. Go into a clothing store, and see pictures of foreigners wearing Japanese-made clothing. Watch TV, and see foreigners drinking alcohol only made in Japan, or driving a made-for-Japan automobile in the streets of Japan. (It should be noted that 99% of the time, these foreigners are Caucasian.)
In addition to that, I guarantee you that if you look at any advertisement or catalog advertising pajamas, underwear or lingerie, 9 times out of 10, the models will be (white) foreigners. (And not the type of mature models we see in the States, either; usually they’re skinny and high-school-student-looking.)
This drives me crazy. After all, this is Japan, where about 95% of the population is ethnically Japanese. Why in the world do a disproportionate number of ads have foreigners? What makes Japanese advertising companies want to whip up ads with white people?
I truly don’t understand this, even though I’ve heard two reasons for this. a) Japanese have an inferiority complex, and b)Japanese think foreigners look more beautiful. I don’t by any of that. First, the Japanese I know always defend their customs and heritage. They tend to not bash themselves (unless they’re talking about yamanba). Second, there are plenty of beautiful Japanese out there. How many girls want to be like Ayumi Hamasaki, and how many girls drool over those stupid Johnnies boy bands?
My family and relatives used to subscribe to prominent African-American magazines like Jet and Ebony. You would see nothing but blacks in the ads, whether its McDonalds or Buick. Could you imagine the outcry if they instead had white models, or Hispanic ones? Back home every now and then, I would watch Univision or Telemundo, just for kicks. The commercials, 9 times out of 10, had Hispanics in them. What if they started to put Asian models in them? Do you think Hispanics would be satisfied?
Maybe it’s just me, but it just makes sense that if you are going to target a group of people, you want your ads to represent that people well. Apparently, many Japanese advertisers have a different philosophy, one I can’t figure out.
28 September 2006
Down Time
Hey, sorry about not posting much in recent months. I've hit a wall with my blog; I've lost my motivation for it. I've just been posting about my life, but some of you have said that's boring.
I do have to admit, my life is kind of boring, though.
So, here's what I'm wondering. Since you guys read this blog, what would you like me to post about? More details about my life? Happenings in Japan/Osaka? Anything that I don't do often that you would like me to do more often?
This blog isn't dead (yet) - just suffering some down time while I figure out what to do. Don't give up!
I do have to admit, my life is kind of boring, though.
So, here's what I'm wondering. Since you guys read this blog, what would you like me to post about? More details about my life? Happenings in Japan/Osaka? Anything that I don't do often that you would like me to do more often?
This blog isn't dead (yet) - just suffering some down time while I figure out what to do. Don't give up!
17 August 2006
Pharrell "In My Mind" Review
I’ve listened to Pharrell’s new CD In My Mind for a few weeks now, so I thought I’d give my first-ever CD review.
The CD is pretty cool. I like the beats and the production a lot, but I have to say this: Pharrell makes better productions when he works with Chad as the Neptunes than he does by himself. Listening to this CD, you can easily tell how much of an effect Chad has on the great Neptunes productions.
That said, it still is a great CD, and I find my head bobbing to a lot of the tracks. However, this is not near the level of N.E.R.D.’s Fly or Die, my all-time favorite CD. Fly or Die was different than anything else out there, and it was well-produced. Plus, it sounds like the kind of music I would make if I had some musically-inclined friends and production skills. I could relate to that. But on In My Mind, we find Pharrell being mostly materialistic on many of the rap tracks, just like most rappers out there today. That threw me off a bit.
Anyway, there are many cool songs on this CD. I don’t like the first two singles, “Can I Have It Like That” and “Angel,” too much. I love the next one though: “Number One”. Great song. Other good songs: “How Does It Feel”, “Best Friend”, “You Can Do It Too”, “That Girl”, and “Young Girl/I Really Like You.” With so many songs I like, it’s the best CD I’ve bought this year.
The CD is pretty cool. I like the beats and the production a lot, but I have to say this: Pharrell makes better productions when he works with Chad as the Neptunes than he does by himself. Listening to this CD, you can easily tell how much of an effect Chad has on the great Neptunes productions.
That said, it still is a great CD, and I find my head bobbing to a lot of the tracks. However, this is not near the level of N.E.R.D.’s Fly or Die, my all-time favorite CD. Fly or Die was different than anything else out there, and it was well-produced. Plus, it sounds like the kind of music I would make if I had some musically-inclined friends and production skills. I could relate to that. But on In My Mind, we find Pharrell being mostly materialistic on many of the rap tracks, just like most rappers out there today. That threw me off a bit.
Anyway, there are many cool songs on this CD. I don’t like the first two singles, “Can I Have It Like That” and “Angel,” too much. I love the next one though: “Number One”. Great song. Other good songs: “How Does It Feel”, “Best Friend”, “You Can Do It Too”, “That Girl”, and “Young Girl/I Really Like You.” With so many songs I like, it’s the best CD I’ve bought this year.
13 August 2006
Breakin' A Sweat
For me, there's nothing I like better about Japanese culture than the bathing culture. Onsens, sentos... they're all good. That was confirmed once again yesterday, when I went with my GF to a nearby super sento, or lavish public bath facility.
This place was good. They had clean, spic-and-span bathing areas. They had an outside bath with a big screen TV, where all the men had crowded around to watch the national high school baseball championships. I don't like baseball all that much, but I joined in for a few minutes.
Besides just bathing, I also had a very good (but expensive) massage. It lasted only 20 minutes, but I still feel the benefits of it. My GF had some kind of face massage as well.
However, the highlight of our trip (actually, the lowlight for me) was a "sweat sauna". You just go into this hot room, wearing this special bathrobe, lay down and sweat heavily for about 35 minutes. I guess you're supposed to feel good after sweating all kinds of garbage out of your system, but I just felt... well... sweaty. Didn't feel good at all. That was money down the drain for me, but my GF just loved it. I guess that means we're going back, huh?
This place was good. They had clean, spic-and-span bathing areas. They had an outside bath with a big screen TV, where all the men had crowded around to watch the national high school baseball championships. I don't like baseball all that much, but I joined in for a few minutes.
Besides just bathing, I also had a very good (but expensive) massage. It lasted only 20 minutes, but I still feel the benefits of it. My GF had some kind of face massage as well.
However, the highlight of our trip (actually, the lowlight for me) was a "sweat sauna". You just go into this hot room, wearing this special bathrobe, lay down and sweat heavily for about 35 minutes. I guess you're supposed to feel good after sweating all kinds of garbage out of your system, but I just felt... well... sweaty. Didn't feel good at all. That was money down the drain for me, but my GF just loved it. I guess that means we're going back, huh?
04 August 2006
Dogo Onsen
The entrance to Dogo Onsen, the oldest public hot spring bath in Japan, in Matsuyama. While I was taking this picture, we heard some ladies say that they could hardly move in the bath, it was so crowded. Needless to say, we didn't go in.
10 July 2006
Back in Time
While we were walking through Matsuyama, Ehime prefecture, we must have accidentally slipped through a time portal or something.
In Two Places At One Time
Me standing with one foot on Ehime prefecture and one on Kochi prefecture.
Picture done yet?
I'm way backlogged on posting pictures here. This one's from my Golden Week holiday trip to Shikoku island. Here's me in front of a temple in front of a delicious udon restaurant in Kagawa prefecture.
07 July 2006
N.E.R.D. is back!!!
Great news, everybody: N.E.R.D. is not dead.
OK, so that’s great news only for me.
Hey, I don’t care. It’s my blog, after all. I’m very very happy that my favorite group has decided to not call it quits. (link: http://musicnews.virgin.net/Virgin/Lifestyle/Music/virginMusicNewsDetail/0,13556,1316969_music,00.html) The leader, Pharrell, said that they’ll try to drop a new single later this year.
This is great news for me. N.E.R.D. has to be the most underrated group out there. Their stuff is better than most pop music on the radio today. It’s fun music – not much of that out there, either. I’m glad they’re coming back. Now, if they’ll only return to Japan for a concert so that I can see them this time...
OK, so that’s great news only for me.
Hey, I don’t care. It’s my blog, after all. I’m very very happy that my favorite group has decided to not call it quits. (link: http://musicnews.virgin.net/Virgin/Lifestyle/Music/virginMusicNewsDetail/0,13556,1316969_music,00.html) The leader, Pharrell, said that they’ll try to drop a new single later this year.
This is great news for me. N.E.R.D. has to be the most underrated group out there. Their stuff is better than most pop music on the radio today. It’s fun music – not much of that out there, either. I’m glad they’re coming back. Now, if they’ll only return to Japan for a concert so that I can see them this time...
15 June 2006
Update - June 15, 2006
Just a quick update on what's been going on:
- Since April, I've been working at a senmon-gakko (like a community college) on Thursday mornings. The best part about the job is that I teach solo. I have complete control of my classes (if not the lesson content - much of which is provided by my company). I have to admit that it makes things run smoothly.
The worst part is that, unlike the high schools, it is extremely difficult to feel part of the college community. First, I'm only there a few hours a week on Thursday. I teach 2 English classes and go. Second, the full-time teachers there hardly talk to me. At first, I thought it was because my Japanese is poor. But there are many other part-time teachers, all Japanese, that come, teach a couple of classes, and go, and the full-time teachers don't talk to them, either, other than when they have a question. The part-time teachers end up talking to each other in the office.
- The World Cup has started, and I'm keeping track of the games. I'm rooting for the USA (which is very unusual. Even American soccer fans root for other teams). Of course, a 3-0 pounding by the Czechs don't do much for national spirit. At least the Japanese here have their own big loss to worry about and don't rub it in.
- I told all you guys about my basketball adventures at my old high school over the last two years. This year, the basketball team at the new school takes things very seriously, so sadly I can't use the gym for hoops. Not to worry... my time after school has been occupied by... kendo! That's right... the oldest Japanese martial art of them all. The kendo coach - who loves to speak English - encouraged me to take some lessons, and I took her up on the offer. It's not bad. I might continue it as a hobby. We'll see.
- Since April, I've been working at a senmon-gakko (like a community college) on Thursday mornings. The best part about the job is that I teach solo. I have complete control of my classes (if not the lesson content - much of which is provided by my company). I have to admit that it makes things run smoothly.
The worst part is that, unlike the high schools, it is extremely difficult to feel part of the college community. First, I'm only there a few hours a week on Thursday. I teach 2 English classes and go. Second, the full-time teachers there hardly talk to me. At first, I thought it was because my Japanese is poor. But there are many other part-time teachers, all Japanese, that come, teach a couple of classes, and go, and the full-time teachers don't talk to them, either, other than when they have a question. The part-time teachers end up talking to each other in the office.
- The World Cup has started, and I'm keeping track of the games. I'm rooting for the USA (which is very unusual. Even American soccer fans root for other teams). Of course, a 3-0 pounding by the Czechs don't do much for national spirit. At least the Japanese here have their own big loss to worry about and don't rub it in.
- I told all you guys about my basketball adventures at my old high school over the last two years. This year, the basketball team at the new school takes things very seriously, so sadly I can't use the gym for hoops. Not to worry... my time after school has been occupied by... kendo! That's right... the oldest Japanese martial art of them all. The kendo coach - who loves to speak English - encouraged me to take some lessons, and I took her up on the offer. It's not bad. I might continue it as a hobby. We'll see.
06 June 2006
Ah-choo!!!
For some reason, I've come down with hay fever or something. This has been going on for about 2 or 3 weeks. I sneeze endlessly on days I go to high school and when I'm at home for hours - the only times that I'm around greenery of any kind. It's the first time I've had allergies like that.
What I don't understand is why I got it in June. Doesn't this usually happen in April? It's beginning to get on my nerves, I tell you that. I had a class today, and I was sneezing about what seemed like 30 times, interrupting my lecture in the process. Something's gotta be done about this.
What I don't understand is why I got it in June. Doesn't this usually happen in April? It's beginning to get on my nerves, I tell you that. I had a class today, and I was sneezing about what seemed like 30 times, interrupting my lecture in the process. Something's gotta be done about this.
15 May 2006
Barkley for Governor
Just finished reading Who's Afraid of A Large Black Man by Charles Barkley. What a great book, and what a great format. Basically it's Barkley having conversations with many famous people - such as Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, Samuel L. Jackson - about race. A lot of what Barkley says makes sense. Gambling problems aside, if he does become governor of Alabama, I just might go back.
10 May 2006
Back to School
For this new academic year, I wasn't expecting to teach at a public senior high school like I have the past 2 years. My boss wanted me to spend less time teaching and more time in the office attending to HR duties. However, it turned out that the company needed an ALT at a senior high school on short notice, so I'm back in the public school ALT saddle once again.
This school is different from the countryside school I taught at the last few years. This one's located in Osaka city. The students are different as well - very different. The kids say "Hello" or "Good morning" to me with no effort. I was lucky to get "Hello" or "Good morning" in Japanese at my old school.
I had to teach my first classes my second day at the school, which was kind of short notice. So I just used the self-introduction lesson that I had used for the first classes at my old high school. That lesson was too easy for these students. Luckily I had something prepared, but still... It's a new world now. Should be an interesting year.
This school is different from the countryside school I taught at the last few years. This one's located in Osaka city. The students are different as well - very different. The kids say "Hello" or "Good morning" to me with no effort. I was lucky to get "Hello" or "Good morning" in Japanese at my old school.
I had to teach my first classes my second day at the school, which was kind of short notice. So I just used the self-introduction lesson that I had used for the first classes at my old high school. That lesson was too easy for these students. Luckily I had something prepared, but still... It's a new world now. Should be an interesting year.
07 May 2006
Update - May 7, 2006
A quick update on what's been happening in the past month:
- A few weeks ago, the GF and I went to see Craig David live in Osaka - the first time I ever saw my favorite singer live. Although I like his music, I heard bad reviews about his live performances. But we were impressed. We'll be there for his next trip to Osaka.
- For Golden Week, we did a massive driving trip all around the island of Shikoku, with some time spent in Hiroshima. It was great; it was nice to be able to breathe clean air and see trees. We covered so much ground and spent so much time in the car during the week that we didn't take a lot of pictures, but I'll post some of the better ones when I get a chance.
26 April 2006
It's Too Early for a Bath
This is me in front of an onsen at Kinosaki last month. I think it was about 8 in the morning at that time. As you can tell, I wasn't quite awake yet.
24 March 2006
Update - March 24, 2006
As you can tell, I've been busy lately, and haven't had much time to dedicate to this blog. Sorry about that. I'll give you a quick update on what's been happening.
- The job has been stressful lately. Like I said before, due to my position I can't go into detail. I have this to say, though; if you want to take an HR/personnel job, you best be prepared to get involved in people problems that have nothing to do with you, even some that you probably would not want to get involved in.
- The high school year ended... well... like it did last year. It wasn't bad... but it wasn't good, either. I was relieved to get away from most of those students, but sad to leave the great staff and teachers at that school. Depending on what my company needs me to do, I may not be back there next year.
- I've never experienced more frustration than trying to buy the Nintendo DS Lite recently for my GF's birthday. On March 11, a new shipment was sent out, so we decided to go to Bic Camera in Osaka early in the morning, an hour before the store opened, to get in line to get one of those things. But it was already sold out - AN HOUR BEFORE THE STORE OPENED! They had handed out tickets for the things at what must have been 3 in the morning, and we were too late. We then headed to the electronics mecca of Den Den Town, and nobody had it there either. We searched on the internet all week to no avail. Then, on March 18, we happen to go to a local Toys R Us at 9:45, 15 minutes before the official opening of the store, and we just waltzed in and purchased one with no problems. Go figure.
- This past weekend, the GF and I went up to an almost-seaside hot spring resort town called Kinosaki. The town is centered on a canal, and you just walk up and down and visit all the hot springs. It was nice, beautiful, and kimochi-yokatta. But while I was up there, I fell ill with a cold, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.
- The job has been stressful lately. Like I said before, due to my position I can't go into detail. I have this to say, though; if you want to take an HR/personnel job, you best be prepared to get involved in people problems that have nothing to do with you, even some that you probably would not want to get involved in.
- The high school year ended... well... like it did last year. It wasn't bad... but it wasn't good, either. I was relieved to get away from most of those students, but sad to leave the great staff and teachers at that school. Depending on what my company needs me to do, I may not be back there next year.
- I've never experienced more frustration than trying to buy the Nintendo DS Lite recently for my GF's birthday. On March 11, a new shipment was sent out, so we decided to go to Bic Camera in Osaka early in the morning, an hour before the store opened, to get in line to get one of those things. But it was already sold out - AN HOUR BEFORE THE STORE OPENED! They had handed out tickets for the things at what must have been 3 in the morning, and we were too late. We then headed to the electronics mecca of Den Den Town, and nobody had it there either. We searched on the internet all week to no avail. Then, on March 18, we happen to go to a local Toys R Us at 9:45, 15 minutes before the official opening of the store, and we just waltzed in and purchased one with no problems. Go figure.
- This past weekend, the GF and I went up to an almost-seaside hot spring resort town called Kinosaki. The town is centered on a canal, and you just walk up and down and visit all the hot springs. It was nice, beautiful, and kimochi-yokatta. But while I was up there, I fell ill with a cold, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.
10 February 2006
Bobby!!!!
Okay, this is beginning to bother me quite a bit. To students at my high school, I am no longer known as Herman. I'm known as Bobby Ologun. Every time I go to school and teach, I get at least one "Oh - Bobby!!!" from a student, whether its in class or in the hallway. You know what - it's not even limited to my school any more. While I was walking home from the train station the other day, these three high school-age punks on a bicycle yelled "Bobby!!!" in my ear as they were riding by. (I still can't figure out how three high school boys fit on a bicycle - another one of the mysteries of Japan.)
For those of you who don't know, Bobby Ologun is a K-1 fighter from Nigeria turned Japan television celebrity. Fame-wise, he hit the big time in 2005 and was all over TV, so most Japanese know who he is. That was bad news for me, at least as far as my work at high school goes.
Now, usually this stuff doesn't bother me. I take insults better than most people. In middle school I was called Steve Urkel. My first year of college, old white ladies said I looked like Tiger Woods. Heck, even last year, when I started work at high school, the kids called me Kevin Lyttle. I took all that in stride. But for some reason, this whole Bobby Ologun thing has really got under my skin.
First of all, I look nothing like Bobby Ologun, besides the fact that we both have dark skin. I can see the comparisons with Tiger Woods. I can even see Urkel. But I don't see this at all.
But I can be lenient on that. Maybe the real reason is because I don't like the guy at all.
If you've seen the guy, the way he acts in public is an embarrassment to black people everywhere, whether African or African-American. He's a straight up goofball, who acts stupid all the time, speaking botched Japanese (my GF says it's obviously on purpose - apparently Ologun has pretty good Japanese skills). It's good entertainment for some Japanese, but can you imagine the stereotypes that are forming in the minds of a people that hardly interact with blacks? Goofball. Stupid. Can't speak Japanese.
Of course, I shouldn't get too hot under the collar about dissing by high school punks that'll be pumping my gas someday. Nobody other than these students have called me Bobby. So I'm not trying to say that Japan is racist toward blacks or anything like that (Little Black Samba situation aside). But I'd be lying if I said the whole Bobby thing hasn't bothered me at all.
For those of you who don't know, Bobby Ologun is a K-1 fighter from Nigeria turned Japan television celebrity. Fame-wise, he hit the big time in 2005 and was all over TV, so most Japanese know who he is. That was bad news for me, at least as far as my work at high school goes.
Now, usually this stuff doesn't bother me. I take insults better than most people. In middle school I was called Steve Urkel. My first year of college, old white ladies said I looked like Tiger Woods. Heck, even last year, when I started work at high school, the kids called me Kevin Lyttle. I took all that in stride. But for some reason, this whole Bobby Ologun thing has really got under my skin.
First of all, I look nothing like Bobby Ologun, besides the fact that we both have dark skin. I can see the comparisons with Tiger Woods. I can even see Urkel. But I don't see this at all.
But I can be lenient on that. Maybe the real reason is because I don't like the guy at all.
If you've seen the guy, the way he acts in public is an embarrassment to black people everywhere, whether African or African-American. He's a straight up goofball, who acts stupid all the time, speaking botched Japanese (my GF says it's obviously on purpose - apparently Ologun has pretty good Japanese skills). It's good entertainment for some Japanese, but can you imagine the stereotypes that are forming in the minds of a people that hardly interact with blacks? Goofball. Stupid. Can't speak Japanese.
Of course, I shouldn't get too hot under the collar about dissing by high school punks that'll be pumping my gas someday. Nobody other than these students have called me Bobby. So I'm not trying to say that Japan is racist toward blacks or anything like that (Little Black Samba situation aside). But I'd be lying if I said the whole Bobby thing hasn't bothered me at all.
Game, Set, Match
Over the winter break, my hair had grown kind of too long. I guess with that, plus the fact that I've started wearing glasses regularly again after years of contacts, I looked like a very famous American athlete during my time in the U.S.
As I was going through one of the security checkpoints at Orlando International Airport in January, one of the guards said, "Hey man, I gotta tell you... You look like Arthur Ashe."
Then, on the plane itself, one of the flight attendants said, "Would you like beef or... hey, did anybody ever tell you that you look like a young Arthur Ashe?"
Well, as a matter of fact, yes, somebody has told me that. That's what I wanted to say, but I refrained. Anyway, it didn't take me too long to cut my hair once I got back to Japan. Not that it was all that bad to be called Arthur Ashe. Beats being called Bobby Ologun any day (by the way, that's a subject for a future post).
As I was going through one of the security checkpoints at Orlando International Airport in January, one of the guards said, "Hey man, I gotta tell you... You look like Arthur Ashe."
Then, on the plane itself, one of the flight attendants said, "Would you like beef or... hey, did anybody ever tell you that you look like a young Arthur Ashe?"
Well, as a matter of fact, yes, somebody has told me that. That's what I wanted to say, but I refrained. Anyway, it didn't take me too long to cut my hair once I got back to Japan. Not that it was all that bad to be called Arthur Ashe. Beats being called Bobby Ologun any day (by the way, that's a subject for a future post).
26 January 2006
Honey, them gators are back!
Alligators in your backyard again, eating the dog, scaring the children? Call the State Alligator Trapper at 1-800-555-GATOR. Nobody captures gators better than we do. Again, that's 1-800-555-GATOR. Call now and receive coupons for a free alligator meat dinner!
The Trip Home
As you may know, for a little over two weeks in December and January I went home to the U.S. for the first time in 2 1/2 years. It was a good trip. (In the next few days, I'll be posting up some pics from the trip, so look for that.)
A lot of the expats here in Japan say that when you go back home to visit, everything seems like a dream. They weren't kidding. I think the biggest thing that affected me was the sheer size of the spaces in America. Front lawns. 10-lane highways. Buildings that stretch sideways instead of up. Supermarkets located 5 miles away from home. After living in claustrophobic Japan so long, I felt disoriented many a time. Strangely enough, I felt like I didn't have a good grasp of my surroundings until I got back to Japan. But being in a place I had never lived before - Tampa and Orlando, Florida - might have had a lot to do with that.
Anyway, other than that, the trip was good. The nine days with my parents was very nice. My grandmother, my aunt and cousin also came down for Christmas. I didn't see my brother, though. He was busy with work and all. (Do you even check your email, boy? If not, get yo derriere to yo computer - I know you have one.) The rest of my time there was spent in Orlando with the GF, who came to Florida several days after I did. We went to Disney World and Universal Orlando. Overall, great stuff, man.
A lot of the expats here in Japan say that when you go back home to visit, everything seems like a dream. They weren't kidding. I think the biggest thing that affected me was the sheer size of the spaces in America. Front lawns. 10-lane highways. Buildings that stretch sideways instead of up. Supermarkets located 5 miles away from home. After living in claustrophobic Japan so long, I felt disoriented many a time. Strangely enough, I felt like I didn't have a good grasp of my surroundings until I got back to Japan. But being in a place I had never lived before - Tampa and Orlando, Florida - might have had a lot to do with that.
Anyway, other than that, the trip was good. The nine days with my parents was very nice. My grandmother, my aunt and cousin also came down for Christmas. I didn't see my brother, though. He was busy with work and all. (Do you even check your email, boy? If not, get yo derriere to yo computer - I know you have one.) The rest of my time there was spent in Orlando with the GF, who came to Florida several days after I did. We went to Disney World and Universal Orlando. Overall, great stuff, man.
22 December 2005
Welcome from the USA
To all my fans: Hello from the USA! I made it safe and sound to Tampa, Florida. Unfortunately, my parents' computer is all but dead, so this will be the only post I put up while in the USA. Don't worry; when I'm back in Japan, I'll write all about my adventures. Take care, guys.
19 December 2005
"Konnichiwa... oh, my bad, I meant, whazzzup???"
Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be flying to the U.S. for the first time since I moved to Japan. I'm gonna visit my parents' new home in Tampa, Florida for a week before meeting up with the GF up the road in Orlando and spending another week at Walt Disney World. I'm kind of nervous; after all, it has been two and a half years. The last time I was in the States, George W. Bush was saying "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq. Colin Powell was still the Secretary of State. SARS was the big fear instead of the bird flu. Destiny's Child and N.E.R.D. were still together. Anyway, if I have access to a computer, I'll try to keep you all updated on my adventures. The Nihon Chronicles will become The Florida Chronicles for a couple of weeks.
16 December 2005
That depends on what you mean by "Where"...
Every now and then in Japan, this kind of conversation takes place:
Somebody: Where are you from?Herman: America.
Somebody: Where in America are you from?
Herman: Well... you see... uh... that is...
Okay, you're wondering, "How hard of a question can it be?" Man, you just don't know. Let me break it down simply for you.
- I was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and lived there until the end of my elementary school years.
- My family moved to Atlanta before I started middle school.
- Before my sophomore year of high school, we moved to Honolulu, Hawaii.
- After I graduated high school, we moved back to Birmingham, and not long after that, I went to college at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa).
- While I was still in college, my family moved up to Vancouver, Washington. After graduating, I lived there a total of 9 months before I moved to Japan.
Confusing, huh? I tell people in Japan that I'm from Washington state, to make things simpler. After all, that was where I moved to Japan from. But is that true? Am I lying to people? I don't have a good answer for that. Should I say I'm from Alabama? I spent about half of my life so far in that state. Plus, I was born there, and my grandparents and many family members live there. But my most recent memories of the U.S. are of Washington state, a place where I felt at home and had good times. What do you think? I wanna hear your comments on this one.
29 November 2005
The Golden Temple
This is Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto, one of the most beautiful temples I've seen in this country. Yep, the walls really are lined with gold. This is a must-see for anybody in Kyoto. Beware the crowds, though. I went on a Tuesday and even then the walkways were packed.
24 November 2005
That's The Way Of The World
I swear to you I'm not making this up. I get on the train this morning to go to the office. I stand in a space right in front of this salaryman jamming to his headphones. He looks up, takes one glance at me, then looks at his iPod, presses a few buttons, and starts listening to his music at a very high volume. It was so easy to hear the music, and when I did, I noticed he was listening to some Earth Wind and Fire! I guess seeing me in all my blackness put him in the mood for some 70s funk. You never know, man, you never know.
23 November 2005
Don't Panic... They're Just Arrows
Another kikuningyo from Hirakata Park (see the previous post). You know what... U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald "You-go-to-war-with-the-armor-you-have" Rumsfeld needs to look into using chrysantheums to protect the troops in Iraq. They worked wonders for this guy.
Sure Beats Aloha Shirts
This past weekend, I went with my GF's family and her mother's cousin's family to a place just outside Osaka called Hirakata Park, scene of something called kikuningyo (lifesize dolls with clothes made from chrysantheums). The creator of these beautiful dolls passed away recently, so the Park is planning to discontinue the display after 90 or so years. Apparently, the dude didn't train someone to become the master after he passed. Anyway, this year is the last to see something of a tradition here in the Osaka area, so we took advantage.
It turns out we weren't the only ones taking advantage, as the place was packed to see these kikuningyo. We had to wait 40 minutes just to get in the building, and once inside, the corridors were full of people trying to squeeze their way through, pushing and struggling to get that perfect view of each scene. Not exactly a fun time. To give you an idea, the above picture, from the time I said "Hey, this is a good spot for a picture" to pressing the shutter button, took about 5 seconds. That's all we had before the masses would push us to the next set of dolls. A great day out, huh? At least the amusement park rides made up for it.
21 November 2005
Needin' A Fresh Cut
Perhaps all foreign men in Japan have it a bit tough every now and then. But only black men stress about where they can find a barber shop to cut their hair. You see, most foreigners have hair not too much unlike Japanese - in other words, straight. A person used to cutting straight hair just doesn't know how to cut a black man's hair. Yes, they can learn fairly easy. But how many barbers in Japan have had the opportunity to learn how to cut a black man's hair? Right.
Lately, my hair has been a mess. I've been searching on the internet, trying to find a barber shop around Osaka that can cut a black man's hair. The best I could do was find a place in Tokyo and another in Yokohama. But I'm not about to travel 3 hours and pay 40,000 yen ($400) return just to get a haircut.
I do have my own hair clippers, and I can cut my hair well enough so that it looks okay. But lately, I haven't had much time to. Besides, there's nothing quite like the feeling of hopping in that chair and letting a barber do his thing. Ah well... I'll just wait until I'm in Florida in December.
Lately, my hair has been a mess. I've been searching on the internet, trying to find a barber shop around Osaka that can cut a black man's hair. The best I could do was find a place in Tokyo and another in Yokohama. But I'm not about to travel 3 hours and pay 40,000 yen ($400) return just to get a haircut.
I do have my own hair clippers, and I can cut my hair well enough so that it looks okay. But lately, I haven't had much time to. Besides, there's nothing quite like the feeling of hopping in that chair and letting a barber do his thing. Ah well... I'll just wait until I'm in Florida in December.
08 November 2005
Rumbly Tummy
I love Japanese food. There's hardly a better cuisine in the world. That doesn't mean that there's not any food that I miss from back home. For example:
-non-Korean, big slab-of-meat-style barbeque. You know, ribs, chicken, fat hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob and some baked beans. Speaking of beans...
-pork and beans and wieners
-Taco Bell
-Burger King fries
-jambalaya
-Krispy Kreme
-real apple pie
-Arby's roast-beef sandwiches
-cornbread
-oatmeal
-Chick-Fil-A
-fettucine alfredo
-Honey Smacks
-non-Korean, big slab-of-meat-style barbeque. You know, ribs, chicken, fat hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob and some baked beans. Speaking of beans...
-pork and beans and wieners
-Taco Bell
-Burger King fries
-jambalaya
-Krispy Kreme
-real apple pie
-Arby's roast-beef sandwiches
-cornbread
-oatmeal
-Chick-Fil-A
-fettucine alfredo
-Honey Smacks
"Practice?!? We talkin' about practice!!!"
Not long after I wrote about how things were about to go bad at my high school, a good thing happened yesterday. After classes, I didn't have anything in particular to do, so I decided to lace up my sneaks and shoot some hoops in the gym. To my surprise, when I walked in, I saw a group of my favorite ichinensei already playing a pickup game of basketball (most of them were girls). Out of all of my ichinensei that actually complete each worksheet and pay attention to me in each class, probably 80% of them were present on the basketball court yesterday. Amazing.
There were 9 of them, so they were eager for a 10th player and they called me over. We played 1 1/2 hours of good, fun ball. They oooohed and aaaaahed my amazing dribbling, passing and defensive skills while laughing at my terrible shooting. The best part was that during the breaks, many of them were actually begging for some English conversation. That's the kind of stuff I've been dreaming about.
Of course, the question is, Why don't they do this in the classroom? These same students are also among the most quiet in my classes, but you wouldn't have known it from their on-court trash talking. Ah well... I'll just wait for more opportunities like this.
There were 9 of them, so they were eager for a 10th player and they called me over. We played 1 1/2 hours of good, fun ball. They oooohed and aaaaahed my amazing dribbling, passing and defensive skills while laughing at my terrible shooting. The best part was that during the breaks, many of them were actually begging for some English conversation. That's the kind of stuff I've been dreaming about.
Of course, the question is, Why don't they do this in the classroom? These same students are also among the most quiet in my classes, but you wouldn't have known it from their on-court trash talking. Ah well... I'll just wait for more opportunities like this.
04 November 2005
Student Strike
It's November, and you know what that means... time for things to start going downhill at the high school. Consider what happened this past Monday. In one of my classes, about 90% of the students (including all the girls) quit on me with 10 minutes to go. There I was, finishing a fun game and starting to explain the last writing exercise, when these students just came up and handed in their unfinished worksheet, went back to their desks and started talking to each other. The main teacher and I tried in vain to get them to get their worksheets and do the last part, but to no avail. They just ignored us. So the last 10 minutes of the class were taught to only 3 students. I've never heard of anything like that happening before.
I mean, these were not just the usual troublemakers I'm talking about here. As a matter of fact, this was usually a well-behaved class. So it's shocking that 90% just quit on me like that. It couldn't have been the lesson, either; I've used that lesson for 2 weeks in other classes, with relative success. I guess it's just time for things to go wrong. I knew the relatively great year I was having here couldn't last that long.
I mean, these were not just the usual troublemakers I'm talking about here. As a matter of fact, this was usually a well-behaved class. So it's shocking that 90% just quit on me like that. It couldn't have been the lesson, either; I've used that lesson for 2 weeks in other classes, with relative success. I guess it's just time for things to go wrong. I knew the relatively great year I was having here couldn't last that long.
28 October 2005
Update
Sorry I haven't written here for a while, but I've been major busy recently. Here's an abbreviated version of what's been happening lately:
- Last weekend, I got my first driving ticket ever, for illegal parking. The GF and I go by car every now and then to visit her family, and we've always parked in that same spot for about 2 years now. I guess the police weren't busy watching crime dramas at that time. Anyway, since I was driving, I had to pay a fine of 15,000 yen (about $140 US) and got 2 demerits on my license that come off in 3 months.
- On Tuesday, I taught at a kindergarten for the first time. I had four lessons, and man, did it wear me out! I could barely stay focused the rest of the day. But it was a lot of fun. Those 4- and 5-year-old kids were awesome, and smart, too. Once the buzz got around the kindergarten that there was a big foreign guy named Herman there, kids started visiting the office during my breaks, saying, "Herman-sensei!" How amazing is that? At my high school, there are students I've known for over a year and a half that still can't get my name right. (Well... either that or they choose not to.)
- For the first time ever, a foreign manager (Bobby Valentine?!?) won the Japan Series, the equivalent of the World Series here, when Chiba Lotte beat the (Osaka) Hanshin Tigers in a 4-game sweep. To realize how amazing that is, check out Robert Whiting's cool books You Gotta Have Wa and The Meaning of Ichiro.
20 October 2005
19 October 2005
"I have to praise you like I should..."
It's well over halfway through my second year at my high school, and I must say that this year's ichinensei (freshmen) are much, much better than the ichinensei last year, in terms of both behavior and English ability (relatively speaking). It's actually been a pleasure to teach them this year (well, most of them).
Take, for example, my daily morning routine of walking from the train station to the school among with masses of students. Often, there are a few students who will greet me. Last year, it was always in Japanese: "ohayou gozaimasu, ohayou gozaimasu." This year, some students, usually ichinensei, actually greet me in English: "Good morning!" Some students go farther than that: "Good morning, how are you?"
Another example: Every ichinensei class, I start off by saying "Good morning" to the class. Last year, I could count on one hand the number of times a student actually said "Good morning" back to me. This year, in the great majority of my classes, there are a group of students that say "Good morning" back to me every time. In addition, some students make the effort to say "Goodbye" to me after class! That gives me goosebumps.
I know some of you are throwing your hands up, wondering what the big deal is. But unless you've been in that situation, you probably can't understand the joy that it brings. When your job is to try to get your students to be interested in English, and then some actually make the effort to use English with you, even if it's just "good morning"... man, that's cause for celebration. So, kudos to my ichinensei students for making this year a pretty good one.
Take, for example, my daily morning routine of walking from the train station to the school among with masses of students. Often, there are a few students who will greet me. Last year, it was always in Japanese: "ohayou gozaimasu, ohayou gozaimasu." This year, some students, usually ichinensei, actually greet me in English: "Good morning!" Some students go farther than that: "Good morning, how are you?"
Another example: Every ichinensei class, I start off by saying "Good morning" to the class. Last year, I could count on one hand the number of times a student actually said "Good morning" back to me. This year, in the great majority of my classes, there are a group of students that say "Good morning" back to me every time. In addition, some students make the effort to say "Goodbye" to me after class! That gives me goosebumps.
I know some of you are throwing your hands up, wondering what the big deal is. But unless you've been in that situation, you probably can't understand the joy that it brings. When your job is to try to get your students to be interested in English, and then some actually make the effort to use English with you, even if it's just "good morning"... man, that's cause for celebration. So, kudos to my ichinensei students for making this year a pretty good one.
11 October 2005
07 October 2005
ER meets... The Insane Asylum?
Since Tuesday, I've had this huge stressful feeling in my body. You know, it's the kind of stress you get when you're about to do a big event like a college exam, a public speech or asking that girl that you have a crush on out for a movie and some Red Lobster. Or when something's bothering you a lot, like your job or somebody you know. You know the feeling: a lot of pressure in your chest, mild shaking, nausea, loss of appetite, muscle soreness, throat tighness, heart palpitations. I've had all of that since Tuesday. It was so bad yesterday that I just bought a salad for lunch, and I couldn't even finish that.
It certainly feels like stress, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why. My life is good. The high school is... well, like it's always been. I've learned to deal with students' shenanigans (did I just say that?) , so it doesn't bother me anymore. At the Osaka office, even though things have been busy since last Thursday, I feel pretty relaxed working there nowadays. My relationship with my GF is at its best point in the 4 years we've been dating. I can't think of anything that has happened recently that would stress me out like that. I even thought back to what happened to me at my high school's sports day, but that was last Friday. This started on Tuesday.
Thinking that something was terribly wrong with me, I went to see a doctor after work last night. However, after checking me out, he said that nothing was wrong with me physically. My blood pressure was good, and my pulse was normal. Only thing he saw wrong was that my shoulders were very hard and tense (usually a result of stress). His conclusion was that I was very stressed about something. He asked me if anything had been bothering me lately, or if I'm dreading anything that's coming up in the future. I told him I couldn't think of anything at all. The doctor said either I'm lying or I'm too shy to tell him what's really going on, because from what he could tell, I was stressed out. He gave me something to increase my appetite, told me to exercise and eat healthy, and sent me on my way.
After leaving the clinic, I thought, OK, I'll trust the doctor on this one. So from last night, I've been trying my best to relax. I've been taking things slowly, breathing deeply and listening to bossa nova. And guess what? I've felt a lot better. I'm probably at 85% now. Maybe the old doctor was right after all. But that still doesn't solve the mystery: Why am I stressed? I still can't figure it out.
It certainly feels like stress, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why. My life is good. The high school is... well, like it's always been. I've learned to deal with students' shenanigans (did I just say that?) , so it doesn't bother me anymore. At the Osaka office, even though things have been busy since last Thursday, I feel pretty relaxed working there nowadays. My relationship with my GF is at its best point in the 4 years we've been dating. I can't think of anything that has happened recently that would stress me out like that. I even thought back to what happened to me at my high school's sports day, but that was last Friday. This started on Tuesday.
Thinking that something was terribly wrong with me, I went to see a doctor after work last night. However, after checking me out, he said that nothing was wrong with me physically. My blood pressure was good, and my pulse was normal. Only thing he saw wrong was that my shoulders were very hard and tense (usually a result of stress). His conclusion was that I was very stressed about something. He asked me if anything had been bothering me lately, or if I'm dreading anything that's coming up in the future. I told him I couldn't think of anything at all. The doctor said either I'm lying or I'm too shy to tell him what's really going on, because from what he could tell, I was stressed out. He gave me something to increase my appetite, told me to exercise and eat healthy, and sent me on my way.
After leaving the clinic, I thought, OK, I'll trust the doctor on this one. So from last night, I've been trying my best to relax. I've been taking things slowly, breathing deeply and listening to bossa nova. And guess what? I've felt a lot better. I'm probably at 85% now. Maybe the old doctor was right after all. But that still doesn't solve the mystery: Why am I stressed? I still can't figure it out.
03 October 2005
Roll Tide Roll!
Okay, I don't talk about sports that much here, but I had to on this occasion.
Alabama 31, Florida 3.
That's all I need to say. Looks like my alma mater's gonna have a pretty good college football season. Of course, now that I said that, they're going to lose the rest of their games.
Alabama 31, Florida 3.
That's all I need to say. Looks like my alma mater's gonna have a pretty good college football season. Of course, now that I said that, they're going to lose the rest of their games.
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