Hindsight

Even though it’s my last night in Bangkok, I am compelled to post a memorable picture from July 14th. The girl furthest right is Rumi - one of the most positive and friendly 2-nensei students I’ve co-taught. Never afraid to try english, never afraid to walk up to say hello and communicate.

I returned from a nice, relaxing vacation at Rayong, about 30 kilometers past the tourist-heavy Pattaya beach. It, too, is a beach area. Given that it was a weekday, almost no one was on the beach. In fact, we were the only ones swimming about at our beachside hotel.

I’ve taken a slew of pictures that will have to wait until I return home (which has a broadband connection)…

Once again I’m finding it difficult to place all my thoughts into one post. Tomorrow morning I’ll be on a flight to Los Angeles International. Right now I’m “touristed” out. I don’t need anymore introductions to new foods or customs or temples or anything for that matter. I’d just like to find a sense of the familiar.

Of course, being in Kitakyushu became the familiar.

I really miss my kids.

I’ve enjoyed most of my time here in Thailand, and I do miss Japan quite a bit. So this is how it feels, I thought to myself. This is how it is.

Tomorrow is the start of the next chapter I suppose. Blank, unwritten, without an outline.

I’m going home.

If I were to attempt to place all my thoughts this posting, it would go on forever.

I spent my last day meeting up with Nanae in Ueno and then sending off some emails at a net cafe in Akihabara. The evening was spent packing (it was harder than I thought) - I can’t wait to meet customs agents. Not so much those in Asia, but the guys in Los Angeles. You know, the “warm” welcome they give whether you are local or not.

***

Back home, a year doesn’t do very much to you. You change a job here and there, you go through a bit of personal drama on the side (or in the foreground perhaps). But it is nowhere near the experience of being abroad. And especially in Japan. Outside Japan, looking in, it’s impossible to experience and see all the subtleties of daily life and interaction. The ups and downs, so on and so forth.

It’s been easy for everyone not in Japan to sympathize, but to empathize? No one who has lived here abroad (more so after college) can come close. Ask Dion, Alex or Chris. Hell, ask any other ALT out here. We’re on the same track so far. Now, though, I’ve chosen to head back.

I’ve said the same thing over and over recently. Prior to this opportunity, I never worked with kids. Even now I still consider myself a pretty serious type of guy. But I’ll say (and happily) that they got to me. Reciprocation. Interaction, internationalization, communication - call it what you will. It was fun. I miss them, you know. I imagine going to the school just to talk to them and say “hello” today. But it’s over now. It’s time for me to go home.

I’ve had my ups and downs. Looking back, that’s supposed to happen, isn’t it? I flashback through moments of laughter with the kids and/or staff, to the moment I stood in my doorway for five minutes because I had no idea what to do that day and no one to talk to. I think about the drunken stupor of yesteryear or the best 3-nensei class at Chiyo. There are so many thoughts - I’m glad that I wrote a bit of them down throughout the year. I’ll be referring to them often.

Some wonder if the JET Program is worth it. It’s worth it. Like people will say, it’s what you make of it. Chris said a year ago that “it changes you”. And how can I not change after being so far away, for one year? Yes, it goes by fast, but what a change.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So rather than say goodbye, I will say this:
Until next time, Japan. Until next time.

Let’s step back to yesterday, Tuesday.

I actually had a moment to rest in between the “wrap up” errands I needed to do before closing my time in Kitakyushu. F-Zero AX (the arcade complement to the upcoming “F-Zero GX” for Gamecube) was in a local game center so I tried it out. The sense of speed is definitely there, though there’s a bit more to it now.

(low light + poor hand = blur)

Like other recent arcade games in Japan , F-Zero AX can make you a “license card” for 100 yen. After you’ve raced your first time with the card, you can use it to keep track of your racing stats and upgrade your vehicle parts. Other games like the recent Virtua Fighter arcade game and Initial D (racing game based on the popular manga seres) also feature license cards. It’s a great idea, in my opinion.

After shipping my final boxes off, cancelling my J-Phone service (feeling naked without my cel pone now) returning the English textbooks to the BOE and getting my last great haircut from the guys near Kokura Station, I met up with the Shimomoto family one last time. We ate at a place right below the Lucky Moon (read: gaijin bar) which was really good. Everything was deep fried and tasty.

I had my last Ichiran ramen with Chris and Dion. This is a picture from the 11th floor of Building 7, where Dion now resides.

Dion and I chatted it up well into 2am or so. I’m going to miss our chats about… well just about everything.

This morning I woke up at 5:30. Everything was packed and ready to go the night before, so there was little to run about. I listened to some Mogwai to set the mood right, shut off the gas and power and walked out with my bags. I will miss Building 7. I’ll miss Kanada Kodan.

I took the shinkansen to Osaka and met up with Hiro & Yoshie, Shinji and his wife of three months, Aya. It’s good to see gamer company/friends here again. We went to Nijojo in Kyoto, just an hour-thirty drive away. Temples abound. After we all went to a tonkatsu place that Aya recommended. Quite possibly the best katsu I’ve ever had.

The rest of the evening was spent at Shinji’s (and now Aya’s) apartment. It was a lot cleaner than last time - I’d like to think that Aya had something to do with that.

Things come full circle in strange ways - Shinji was ecstatic to see all of the Final Fantasy soundtracks I had sitting in my laptop and eventually loaded up Final Fantasy X to show me my favorite gaming scene: Yuna (the game’s female lead) walks on water and performs a ritual to send the souls of the dead to a higher plane. Later he played some music from the game. It made me think about my former job where I tested games.

Hiro and Yoshie had to return to Nagoya, as they have work tomorrow. As I said goodbye, Shinji told me “they are good friends”.

“..All because of PSO” I said. All because of a chance meeting at an online console game.
“Yes,” he responded, going on to praise the fact that online games connect people. If he isn’t great, I don’t know who is.

I’ve spent the rest of the evening talking about games with him, and later going online to post this. While I was dabbling on my own PC, he started playing Final Fantasy XI on his PS2. Later, Aya took over the PC.

I feel wonderfully comfortable in this household.

First, randomosity:

Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola)
Quicktime Trailer (11mb)

“…the more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you…”

This was first spotted by Nej at jeansnow.net

Bill Murray plays a washed up actor doing Japanese CMs (commercials) in Tokyo and meets a soul searcher in the process. The film will be released stateside in September, and I’ll be sure to catch it.

The new Sony CLIE

http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/PEG/PEG-UX50/index.html
Japan is good at making me lose money.

***

The last few days have been mellow yet intense.

Sunday night I went to Koichi’s one last time at around 6pm. I had little to do so I figured some yakitori wouldn’t hurt. Alex came down eventually from his own engagement and we ate and drank. And drank more.

It was about 8 or so when we headed down the small streets to meet up with Stacey, who had joined up with a Taiko group. Drummers were “feeding” others more and more Asahi. Both Alex and I joined in and, believe it or not, I drummed myself some. Alex accomplished this as well. Go beer.

Amber wanted to meet up once before I left, so we shared our recent stories at McDonald’s by the station. About an hour and a half later I said a brief farewell to Tim and Yuki.

Later in the evening I went to Kameyama sensei’s home along with Dion and Livia, where we ate yakiniku, talked about teaching experiences. It got very intense at one point: what will make the system better, what needs to be changed and so on and so forth. I ended up listening quite a bit, but it was arresting throughout.

I got a tie from Kameyama sensei that had repeated imagery of a matsuri. An outline of a taiko drum here, a festival-goer there. It was neat.

Tomorrow I have to cancel my J-Phone service, send in my DSL to terminate my Yahoo BroadBand access and turn in my textbooks to the BOE (in addition to my inkan and other personal documents). It’s all coming to a close.

While I originally wanted to post something about this entire experience, this year of being in a foreign country, the story isn’t really ending per se. It’s just going to continue as I move forward. So I’ll end there, and I’ll weblog again when I get to a net connection either in Osaka or Tokyo.

Until then, I am swimming in thought of moments with kids at junior high, drunken discussions at Yakyuudori and times of revelation.

As I say in e-mails to friends…

More to come.

Sometime a week or two ago, Chris told us about his fifteen-minutes: he was in the papers, and online of course.

In May, www.dylanchords.com, a Web site devoted to Dylan’s chords and lyrics, posted a note from Chris Johnson, a resident of Kitakyushu, located on Japan’s southernmost main island. Saga confirmed that the alleged passages on the site come from his book…

…”Why would I sue? To take something that made people around the world happy and try to exploit it for money

July 18-19. The last day at Tahara was also the day I turned 25. Amber suggested bowling and that’s what we did. We also had some grand shabu-shabu.

Saturday was a gathering at Koichi’s followed by drinking on the streets of Kokura. I didn’t get as nearly as drunk as I thought I was going to be, but all the better. No hangover = no problem.

There’s so much I want to write, but I’m in one of those moments where I will just let the memory stay and (eventually) fade. In other words, I’ll keep most of them for myself this time around.

Two nights ago I broke down and bought some watermelon. That cost me 580 yen (about $5).

Checking out my daily luck on my (now archaic) phone.

Yesterday I went to Ichiran with Alex just before our ALT meeting.

The final ALT meeting seemed more relaxed, even though our reports to everyone were the usual. I was exit-interviewed by Kimura sensei - he was curious to hear about my schools and what problems there were.

I thought about it afterwards and its interesting how I’ve changed. About one year ago I came here, started working and complained about the kids. Now the year is almost up and my problems have generally been with staff. This comes to me as a good thing, and reminds me of how my perspective might have changed.

With the meeting ajourned, Sakamoto sensei handed us leaving ALTs the necessary exit information and reminded us of what we needed to do before leaving Japan. Over the course of the meeting I was smiling less and I realized that this was, in fact, the last ALT meeting I would go to.

When Sakamoto sensei asked if there were any major announcements I said “Yeah. I just wanted to say that it’s been a privilege working with such a great group of people.” It may have seemed out of place, but I wanted to say it. Followed by a short applause, the meeting finally came to a close.

Last night I went to Koichi’s to meet up with Jon who I won’t see this weekend (he’s off to Boston for a few weeks) in addition to Cayce (leaving for home as well). I drank quite a bit: a beer here, a vodka shot with Jon there and then Umeshu.

To make a long story short, I woke up in bed this morning with my shirt and jeans still on. The hangover was strong, but enough Pocari Sweat did the trick (it’s probably the Japanese equivalent of America’s “Gatorade”) .

Today, Ms. Tsujii’s 2-1 Homeroom class summoned me the last 10 minutes of first period. They gave me a beautiful bundle of folded, paper cranes with messages attached also. Pictured here was the message they wrote for me as I walked into the classroom. I will miss these kids.

The souji (cleaning time) was longer today, since it was to be the last before summer vacation. Windows were cleaned, trash cleared out. Just like any other day, the school was restored.

I had three 1-nensei classes today, a mix of bingo, new words and drawing (”go up 2, go right 3, draw Ms. Matsuo!). It was good fun. At the end of class, Matsuo sensei had the kids do jazz chants for me to say goodbye. Super warm fuzzies, as they say.

The picture taking has ramped up since my time with Tahara is done after tomorrow. Here’s Yurie, the girl who wrote out my name in beautiful kanji a week ago.

I suppose it’s about that time. Time to reflect.

Time for a really, really long post.

Here are my grandest (and not so grand) memories of my year in Japan. What are yours?

Non-School Related

Best Purchase: Apple iPod (2nd Generation Model)
Sometimes, when I get back to my apartment I am still walking around with it. Music is life.

Breakthrough Drink: Umeshu
No single drink has swept my attention like Umeshu, causing more drunken stupors and hangovers in under 12 months then any other time since I first drank a Tequila Sunrise at 20 years old. You didn’t read that.

Worst Time Ever: Winter Food Poisoning Incident
….and getting to and from the hospital by myself. Survival of the fittest. I am still trying to figure out how I survived that ordeal. As they say, if it doesn’t kill you….

Best Restaurant in Kitakyushu: Yakyuudori
This should come as no surprise - I’ve only spent half of my entire stay in Japan at Koichi’s yakitori grill. It’s small and usually populated by salarymen and women stopping before home. But I am so comfortable with this (as well as other ALTs) that it’s become the first eatery where “everyone knows my name”. That sort of feeling, a refuge to relax, is priceless. And the gyuusagari (beef steak?) is to die for.

I’ve taken all of my visiting friends here. Everyone loves the place. Most have also gotten drunk there. Here’s to getting drunk with salarymen.

School Life

Best Class Ever: Homeroom 5-1, Maeda Elementary School
Elementary schoolkids can really be *too* genki, but since I got one chance to teach at an elementary school (as opposed to the junior high schools I teach) I have always remembered it as quite the blast.

Pointless Discovery: Solitaire
When I realized that Tahara JHS had no internet access, Solitaire became part of the day. It became… a way of life. And sadly, I never got good at it. There hasn’t been such a better time killer for me that was a game but was never too showy as to attract the attention of video game eyes at the schools.

Most Likely to Be Sekuhara (sexual harassment) Cases in the U.S.
There are several…

Last year a 3-nensei girl waved “Oh James!”, walked by me and slapped my behind, running off in mad laughter. Welcome to Japan JHS school life.

Ooike-kun constantly trying to prod at my privates. No, he is not homosexual - lots of kids roughhouse and are more touchy than their U.S. counterparts. I’ve seen boys sitting on other boys’ laps and what not. You get used to it, no big deal. The same goes for girls.

Various ALTs tell me they have seen their fellow teachers getting massages from students, later to have the students massaging the ALTs. Complaints ceased shortly thereafter.

Scariest Teacher Ever: Mr. Hayashi
Listen to THIS. Are you not convinced? Imagine being there just twenty feet away.

Best Kids: Chiyo JHS
Good kids and I eventually grew to the staff. Out of three schools I visited (Hanao, Tahara and Chiyo), the kids at Chiyo turned out to be the best. Tahara is right behind in second. Sweetest bunch of kids around. They made me feel important.

Best JTE: Ms. Yoshida
Super genki and receptive to my dark humor, Yoshida sensei will always remember the moment I helped her for her STEP test: an English proficiency test that involves not only reading/writing but speaking. She had to explain a situation based on an illustration. The night before I had drank at Koichi’s quite a bit, so I was tired. Like Hal9000, my mind was going. And while Yoshida sensei was describing the picture to me, she started to notice my eyes “struggling” to stay awake. In mid description she went, “…and in the picture they are - James sensei come back!”. It was the most hilarious moment we shared. Eventually, my mind came back.

When I was leaving Chiyo just two weeks ago, Yoshida sensei ran out saying “James sensei come back!” she continued and told me that I was like a brother to her. I will never, ever forget that.

Last night, before going to bed, some sort of large, flying bug was taking comfort by constantly flying into a ceiling lamp of mine. I thought I had gotten rid of it earlier in the evening, but it was clever. Finally, I caught it by slamming a small plastic trash bin when it was standing still on my floor. I pushed the bin along the ground (big bug contained within) and pushed the guy out the balcony. Soon after he was out of sight.

This morning, Morizono-sensei asked me if I could come up with something for her 3-nensei selection class. Even though I had a two-period advance notice, I didn’t play nice this time - I couldn’t think of anything. It was a standard exchange of apologies - I apologized that I couldn’t think of anything and Morizono sensei told me she was sorry for asking me with what little planning time to spare.

No fast ones this week, even if its my last. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No surprises. Radiohead reference slightly intended.

I had one 1-nensei class today, but Matsuo sensei told me that students would summon me from my desk at the last ten minutes of class.

“You don’t have to worry about today’s schedule.” she said.

When the kids came to get me I walked in. For their selective class, groups of several students drew pictures for one calendar month and presented to me. They were so sweet. So now I have a September 2003 - August 2004 Tahara 1-nensei calendar to bring home with me. Omoide (memories).

Murakami san quickly asked me to step out of the staff room to give me an MD copy of the “8 Mile” soundtrack. I’m honored. Problem is, I don’t own an MD player…. yet.

I’ve received two new Friendster invites this week. Like people say with intense conviction, “I’ll have to check it out sometime”.

The weekend was good at first. Friday was a nice deal at Koichi’s, followed by a sleep-in on Ssturday. Jon moved his things in. Dion came by in the evening and we talked about life, the universe and everything. Literally. Not the Douglas Adams book (which was funny, of course). Life after JET, the universe (religion versus evolution) and all other bits of our lives.

Dion and I were to hit ramen down in Uomachi on Sunday but the rain kept him from heading this way to Kokura. So I as home all day. I know, it doesn’t help the situation. I’m sure I will be all handsprings tomorrow after sleep. Still..