Sensei and Sensibility
Sunday, January 18, 2004
The Mission
A Top Secret Memo was posted to me by my captain, code name Viper, about my mission. This is what will go down on January 31st of this year.
The memo
"You are a few of the most highly trained specialists selected to enter enemy territory and throw snowballs at some dudes-YOU ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST! Be under no illusions I don't expect all of us to make it back from this top secret mission. As your Captain, I'll try and lead from the front, if this means taking a snowball for the team then so be it! I cannot stress enough the importance of this coming OP. boys and girls. Anything but 100% on the field of battle will see you get 'smoked' by a 80km snowball. Basic training will begin tomorrow from 7pm-9pm, here we will adopt our call signs for this deadly OP. (Maverick,Goose, Iceman, Slider, Viper, Hollywood, Merlin, Wolfman, Cougar........) Remember though Cougar blew it, lost the edge and turned in his wings! Who wants to be Cougar eh?
Some important facts you all need should know about the upcoming OP.
1. Snowballs travel at speeds of up to 99km/hr and impact harder than a Asashoryu Sumo or Jerry Collins tackle(All Black Rugby Player!)
2. Because of this, Snowballs have become the new generation weapon of choice of terrorists throughout the world. They can easily pass through Metal Detectors-UNDETECTED!
3. President Bush included Snowballs as part of Iraqs Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) arsenal in his address to Congress in 2001. Snowballs are elusive weapons. Coalition troops and US weapons inspectors have so far failed to discover any trace in the hot desert of Iraq! The search goes on! President Bush maintains they will discover some evidence of the Iraqi Snowball Arsenal
These facts will keep you on your toes and prepare you for the battle ahead. Snowballs are dangerous, they are not toys! Game faces on troopers I expect to see all of you sharp at Basic Training 1900 hours tomorrow.
Captain VIPER "
Yes indeedy - it is time again for the regional Snowball Fight Championship. This is not a joke. A few dozen teams will be competing in the regional competition - the winners will have the honour of representing the region at the International Snowball Fight Championship held this year in Hokkaido. Even though this isn`t yet an olympic sport, this is serious stuff!
Basically, the game is like paintball, or capture the flag. You must steal the other team`s flag from their territory without getting hit by a snowball. Snowballs must be regulation size (they are pre-made by a machine, and they are limited per side). There are 12 members to a team, and 6 players on the field at a time - 3 forwards, and 3 defense. The forwards try to capture the flag, while throwing and dodging snowballs, while the defence defends the flag (duh) all the while lobbing high balls that drop on the other team`s players from up high. The referees will have the final call on hits.
This sport is taken seriously here. Special uniforms of white are prepared to make members less visible. We are going to start our practice tomorrow. I am concerned with the large volume of Australians we have -what could they know about snow????
Oh yeah - right now the top freestyle aerialist is Australian....maybe there`s hope for us yet! Where`s Team Canada on this one?????!
Wish us luck!
:)
 Sabine . 11:20 PM . Comments
A Moment of Silence
Saturday, January 17th was the anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
Today, at school, we were all shuffled off to a seminar room to watch a video of earthquakes. It really shook me up (pardon the pun). Through some amazing graphics, we got to see what the quake would have been like. They showed things like houses, and whole apartments collapsing, bridges collapsing and cars and busses falling through, the ensuing fires, etc. The thing is, we all can think of what an earthquake would be like, but it is virtually impossible to imagine a quake of that magnitude!
They tell us to get into a door-frame to protect ourselves. With an earthquake like that, that one feat would be virtually impossible. Actually, it would be about as impossible as walking on water for that`s what it would be like. Suddenly the ground drops away from your feet and when you try to land again, it again drops away from your feet. Instantly, you fall and that is where you stay, for you can`t get a hold of anything firmly enough.
So, they tell us to get under a desk, which would work if you were sitting at that desk. Instantly, your chair would fall out from under you and you *might* be able to grab a hold of the legs of such a desk and pull yourself under. In watching the simulation, keeping a hold of that desk would probably require the strenght of, say, hanging on to the wing of a jumbo jet during take-off. They showed a model quake room, which they can shake up to imitate the effects of the sway, and all the people were literally being shaken out from under the desks.
Basically, it looks like survival is all pure luck with such a quake. Where you fall seems to be where you`ll land and stay, and all you can do is protect yourself to the best of your ability. I`d probably roll up into a ball and cover my head with my hands and pray for the best.
About 6500 people died in the Kobe quake. It would have been more were it not so early in the morning. That fact that people were lying down on a soft surface, which could absorb the impact of things falling on top of them, probably saved many lives. I guarantee you, from what I saw, that the number of fatalities would have been at least two, if not three times greater had this not been the case. Even for those who survived, including Yuko and Yoshi and Miyoko, all of whom were in the Osaka area at the time, the mere mention of the earthquake makes them visibly shaken (again, pardon the pun).
So, in honour of all the people that died in Kobe`s quake, and in Earthquakes in general, let`s have a moment of silence, for their last moments on this earth, were no doubt filled with terror.
...
Sabine . 9:44 PM . Comments
The Shock!
Just now,while brushing our teeth, Yuko came up to me and said, "Ano ne, Sabine, shinou ka?" ( "Um, Sabine, shall we die now?")
WHAT???????
I grabbed her, toothpste dribbling down my chin.
She looked at me, befuddled.
I repeated what she said. She blinked a couple times and then started laughing so hard.
What she had actually said was, " Ano ne, Sabine, Shinouka?" ("um, Sabine, Shinouka?") , Shinouka being the name of a teacher at one of the elementary schools that I teach at. She wanted to confirm the teacher`s name before calling her on my behalf.
I dunno, but sometimes I wonder if this indirect way of speaking is gonna kill me - literally!
:)
Sabine
Sabine . 9:20 PM . Comments
Congratulations Shawn and Miyoko!!!
They finally tied the knot on Saturday!!! May they have a long and happy life together!
It was spectacular, and I feel really privileged that they invited me to attend. It really was unique, as usually only the family attends the ceremony at the shrine, but with Shawn and Miyoko`s wedding, everybody got to come to both.
It was held near Osaka, so we started our trek at 8am. In a mini car, a couple of Shawn`s former colleagues and I, armed with canned coffee, made our way to the mountains of Ashiya. First, we arrived at the reception centre, where we were greeted by so many people, including all the members of Shawn`s family (the women looked only slightly uncomfortable all bound in fabulous kimono). The groom himself was bustling around, trying to placate confused family members and get a drink for his bride to be. He was decked out in the traditional formal wear for man. Think of a samurai, dressed in the black top and flared, skirt-like, grey pants. The only thing he was missing was a sword...! Miyoko poked her head around the corner - she was envelopped in an enormous white, robe-like kimono (it looked like there were 10+ layers to the thing!) and she had a big, white hood on. No this hood isn`t their version of a veil. I am told that it is actually to cover the woman`s "horns" for the day. Apparently, all women have horns, like a devil, that appear when they get angry or jealous. For that one day, they are covered, to fool the unsuspecting groom.....
Then the bus arrived, and everyone loaded on. The bride and groom sat together at the front, and the other guests piled in the back - it was fun! Like a mini bus trip!
We drove through the mountains and watched the snow wafting down around us for about 20 minutes. The scenery was spectacular (for those in the know, the shrine was off in the forest a bit behind Arima onsen)
Finally, we arrived at the shrine. The Shinto priest and attendants were rushing around as we got off the bus, and the dresser fussed about everyone`s obi`s (the ornate material tied around the waist of the kimono) which had gotten rumpled during the bus ride.
We waited in two rooms (with heat!!! It was only about 4 degrees out!) and then were called to make our way into the beautiful shrine. First, we had to line up to wash our hands in the stone basin (as is the custom before entering the shrine). Perhaps it was a faux pas of me, but after washing my hands, I stuffed them into my fuzzy mittens. The area we were to sit in was enclosed, but not heated, so it was very, VERY cold! The poor Australians (Shawn`s family)!
Shawn and Miyoko were sitting in the middle, towards the front. Her family was on one side, and his family and friends were on the other. There was a little lacquered tray in front of us with some dried konbu on it, and a little sake cup (foreshadowing, no doubt!).
The priest came in, and we all had to stand up. Then sit down, then he chanted a prayer (something about the gods blessing this union) and we had to stand and clap twice, then sit, then stand, then sit then stand, bow twice, sit, stand, bow twice, over and over again while the priest played the flute and chanted and shook white paper over our heads and stuff. It was magical! Rarely are people allowed inside a shrine, and I wish I had more information on which Kami-sama (god) we were praying to and what all the gestures and actions meant.
Then, I think they gave each other rings. The space is very narrow (it is a shrine, after all, not meant to have people inside except for the priest and the occasional wedding - unlike our vast churches), I had someone`s head in the way, and I kept having to get up and bow and sit down and stuff, so sadly, I didn`t get to see everything clearly, and I was unable to take pictures of this part!
After that, came the sake drinking. Sake is poured for the groom, and he drinks it, then for the bride, and she drinks from the same cup. This is done three times. Then sake is poured for us, and we have to do a kanpai for the couple. This tradition I like very much! :)
We then made our way outside for the group picture. Back onto the bus, shaking from the cold, we went, and made our way to the reception centre. This place was quite unlike the huge wedding halls that are constructed here. It was more like a lovely mountain inn - tatami floors throughout, flower arrangements, a small garden, and a wider rock garden.
We were called outside for another kanpai. There was a speech from Shawn`s father (in English and in Japanese!) and then Shawn and Miyoko together raised a mallet and broke open a cask of sake (much better than our tradition of cutting a cake, I think!!!)
Finally we went inside for an absolutely exquisite meal. I can`t even remember what we had - there were probably about 15 courses! But, I do know that I drank copious amounts, ate things like sashimi, lobster, exquisitely cooked roast beef, shark fin soup, yuzu sorbet, etc.
I asked, since we were so close to Kobe, if the beef was Kobe beef. No, I was told, it is actually Sanda beef. But Sanda is just outside of Kobe, and has an agricultural area. No, no, I was assured, beef from Tajima is Tajima beef, from Sanda, Sanda beef, and from Kobe, Kobe beef. Hmmm. Kobe is a city of over 2 million people. It is bordered by the mountains and the ocean and has absolutely NO agricultural areas. WHERE are these beef cows in Kobe hiding??? Perhaps the cows are hanging (as they are wont to do with Kobe beef) in some big factory somewhere, drinking beer...)
But, I digress... There were lovely speeches by Miyoko`s best friend and one of the teachers at Shawn`s former school, then we all went outside to pound rice with a mallet (mochitsuki, or "making mochi") together, and then Shawn and Miyoko lit a fire together.
And we kept eating and drinking. Sake was poured from bamboo containers - literally a block of bamboo with one end cut off and holes drilled into the divider part - so yummy!!! Now I`ve managed to have sake from a bottle, from vessel made from dried squid, and now from a bamboo pole! What else is there left to try?!
The bride changed into a fabulous red kimono, and the obi was tied so delicately - perhaps the nicest obi I have ever seen! With that, they came around to visit the tables. Here, I noticed something. In our weddings, the bride and groom are at the head of the room, and the next closest tables are full of family. Here, the bride and groom are at the front, then their friends and guests, and then the family. I asked about this, and the reason has to do with, I guess, the uchi/soto philosophy (inside group/outside group). Usually, this has negative connotations, but here, it is the opposite. The Bride and Groom are the ultimate hosts, as it is their day. The family, by nature of their uchi (inside group) status, become secondary hosts. Non- related people (the "outside"group, I guess) have the status of honoured guests, and therefore sit in the honoured position, surrounded by the hosts and the family. I thought that this was really nice!
I should also mention our placecards - they were so touching! Our names were written on the front, and inside each was a photo of us with the bride/groom/both and a personal message. How much time that must have taken to prepare!!! That was so touching! And, it gave the guests a conversation starter if they didn`t know each other. I learned about the enkais Shawn went to with his colleagues, and they got to hear about the time when Shawn, Miyoko and I ascended Mt Dangamine - the highest mountain in Ikuno. Cool!
Anyway, as we only had about 4 courses of food to go, the afternoon started to wind down. The bride and groom made speeches to their parents (and yes, yours truly let out a tear or so). Miyoko`s speech especially was so touching, about how her family accepted Shawn as a member so quickly and really supported them. But the most touching was the fact that Miyoko`s grandmother was kneeling on the floor beside me, crying. And when Miyoko would start to break up, the grandmother would shout, "Ganbarre, Mi-chan!" ("persevere, my little Miyoko!") all the while sobbing.
How could I not cry?!
And with that, the parents and bride and groom left the party together and we all searched for handkerchiefs...
That, above all else, was the most touching moment of the day for me. I will always remember Miyoko`s grandmother.
Sigh. getting all misty again....
signing out for now.....
Sabine . 7:30 PM . Comments
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
It`s So Cold That...
I walked to my desk and picked up my hot coffee cup to warm my hands. Haven`t been able to feel my fingers all day. I noticed some pain, and looked down at my hand that was all covered in blood - then I saw the trail of blood droplets all over my desk and around it. I had managed to get a big gash in my finger, but because it was so cold, I didn`t even feel it!!! Not until my hot coffee warmed up my fingers enough to feel the pain!
Luckily, the teachers in the staffroom weren`t that grossed out - they thought that it was too funny that I didn`t feel the cut and had no idea where I got it from.
My principal acted all fatherly and bandaged me up.
I felt like a gimp though!!!
:(
Sabine . 9:02 PM . Comments
The Orient
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu! Happy New Year and please be kind to me again this year!
For those of you not in the know, it is the year of the monkey in 2004 :)
I hate the word, "The Orient".
It conjures up images of textbooks of long ago, talking about the mysterious area of land in which I live. In these textbooks, the "mystery" of "The Orient" is embellished by pages and pages of descriptions by "early explorers" (as if these lands weren`t lived in before they got here), and pictures of endless rice paddies, mist filled valleys, and people in traditional dress. Expecially emphasized were the lives of peasants, and the lives of royalty. "Spices from the Orient" were deemed more mysterious than boring old oregano, as were the exotic silks. The people of "The Orient" were demure and secretive and serious. The language was "impossible" and the writing system conjured up comparisons between the heiroglyphs and cave dwellers and others whose system was based on pictographs. Fighting styles were barbaric, passion was absent, and women were little demure flowers who silently glided across floors and bowed to their barbaric husbands` every request.
The problem with "The Orient" is that it is an outdated perception based on the Imperialistic attitudes of centuries ago, and yet the "mystique" still remains in our present, Western way of thinking.
When I went home, people always asked, "So, how`s Japan". My explanations of the mundane, everyday life here didn`t satisfy people`s curiosity. They either wanted stories of sushi, samurai and geisha, misty temples and stony gardens, or they wanted to hear about manga and technology.
The reality wasn`t as satisfying as the image they had built up in their minds. The reality wasn`t exotic enough. The reality wasn`t "The Orient" that they had heard about. It isn`t exciting that I drive a basic Toyota. It is a tragedy that I have never seen a Maiko other than in pictures.
My first trip back, people were thrilled with stories of mobile phones that took pictures or played MP3`s. They "ooh-ed and aaah-ed" about my stories of squat toilets and eating raw pig uterus (incidentally, that was in a Korean restaurant in Osaka). They wanted to take me out for Sushi to get an "expert`s" opinion, and they gasped when I uttered the smallest phrase in Japanese. In my first few years here, when I was still amazed by the differences, I was happy to oblige. When I return now, and am branded an "explorer", and am asked to talk about my life in "The Orient", I feel uncomfortable, like I am certain to disappoint people with stories that are so banal. I am left to scramble through my memories for stories that are exotic enough to amuse and entertain.
If the "West" is considered to be exotic here, and English impossible enough that they need to import us for "Internationalization", then perhaps they need to import "Oriental" people to educate us "Westerners" about the reality of life here in Asia. Though perhaps this is a bit extreme. The youth of today, when asked what they know about Japan, will spout pop-culture icons such as Hello Kitty and Yu-Gi-Oh. Most of the youth I`ve spoken to have never referred to Asia as "The Orient". Perhaps the textbooks have changed.
How do I describe to people that life here is just that, life? People wake up, they work, they live, they love, they laugh. There are passions and tears, angers and fears, just like everywhere else on the planet. At first, I only noticed what was different. Then, my perception changed, and I only noticed what was worse than what I knew from back home. Then, I stopped noticing altogether anything, and my days went by in the same haze that they do when I am "back home". In fact, I stopped even thinking about Japan for a while, except when I went "back home". Then I went through a phase where I was interested in knowing the history and language more. I needed to know the past of this place where I live. Now, I am fiercely protective of my life here, perhaps because I only have 8 more months to enjoy it. The sadness of leaving is already creeping in, tinting my sight pink to all around me.
I wonder what my perception will be when I leave?
For now, I don`t live in "The Orient", although at the beginning, when everything was new, perhaps I did. Now, I live at home, for it really has become a home to me. I won`t feel the same without Ikuno, and at the beginning at least, Ikuno won`t feel the same without me. It`s like how your company feels when a very familiar co-worker leaves. At the beginning, there will be an absence in the hearts for both of us.
My perception has changed, but I still wonder if the rest of the world`s has. It is "cool" now to be enamoured with all that is "Asian". But the reality is that what is Asian, is human, so it is a story shared by us all.
I wonder if people are enthralled with all that is mysterious and mystical in "The Last Samurai", or are they enraptured by some of the more universal, humanistic truths that I`ve heard it expresses.
Give me your thoughts, please, as I haven`t seen the movie.
I am just excited that it filmed not too far away from me. When I get homesick for Japan in a few months, I can see my beloved Himeji whenever I rent the movie.
Happy New Year to you all! I hope that we can amuse each other in the new year! Perhaps you enjoy reading my posts (or not!), but I know that I really enjoy reading your comments from the "Exotic West"!
:)
Sabine . 6:17 PM . Comments
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