Same same... but a little different

As you know, I haven't stayed many places that long. A year here, a few months there... Japan is actually the longest time I've stayed anywhere for any significant amount of consecutive time, and the longer I stay in one place, I realize what a cycle there really is to life... everywhere, really. And I've now been around the "Japan cycle" almost 3 times, I realize how much the same things stay from year to year... but of course there're always a few fun twists in there that make the events different than the year before, and the year before that, fortunately...

Yes, apparently (as some of you have pointed out) April must have been a blur and it turns out that May was, too... This is true and I truly do apologize for my long lapse in communication... Much has happened, but the beauty of only posting every two months is that I can just give you the highlights instead of boring you with the long, much too detailed post that I usually write...

Anyway... let me bring you up to speed... and so... I give you the 5 biggest happenings of the last two months: (in order of time, not significance)

1.) The Cherry Blossoms Came & Went (Early April)
The "Sakura" (cherry blossoms) are a sight sure to tear at the heartstrings of any given Japanese person as they are undoubtedly one of the symbols of Japan. They have certainly inspired many songs, poems, amorous feelings, and alcoholic tendencies. Many people have "hanami" (cherry blossom "watching") parties, which simply means getting together to drink and eat vast quantities under or within sight of the beautiful sakura. And they really ARE beautiful. You can't help but feel a little awestruck in their presence. The sakura are a sign that spring has finally come... but the sight of them is also a little bittersweet, for their beauty is fleeting... The cherry blossoms really only last for about two weeks, and then they are gone. Coincidentally, they also appear at a very bittersweet time of the year in Japan, for this is the time of year in Japan when EVERYTHING changes... at least at schools and public offices across the country. This is the end of the school year. Students graduate or move to the next grade, teachers and other "public servants" are transfered (I use this in the passive form because it is not their choice at all) to other schools or offices (sometimes HOURS away) all within about two weeks' time as well... (Perhaps later I will comment more on this system of transfering teachers in Japan... completely different than back home...) Yes, this was certainly a season of change, and that is what the Sakura symbolize to many as well.

2.) The new School Year began (Early-Mid April)
And speaking of cherries (or actually, not, because these trees bear no fruit) I had a whole new class of first-year high school students to whom I had to give my "self-introduction." Ask anyone teaching English in Japan and they will tell you that, given the number of times they have had to introduce themselves in this country, they could probaly do their self-introduction in their sleep... I basically ramble on about Michigan and how it's shaped like a hand/mitten so the "hand map" is very convenient, how cold it is (everyone is shocked to hear that we basically have snow for 5 months of the year) and talk about the "5 Great Lakes" (which they all know) as well as Henry Ford, cars, and CHERRIES, of course! (Being that I am from "Cherry country," up north.) Of course, the whole "cherry" thing always brings an eruption of laughter from some of the naughtier boys in the class... "Cherry boy" is kind of Japanese English but it's not too far from the English connotation which I'm sure you can piece together. Anyway, I am definitely back in the swing of school and all the new students are quite GENKI as they say... (meaning something along the lines of enthusiastic/energetic/positive) so all is good for now...

3.) I went camping for the first time in my life! ("Golden Week," 1st week in May)
Can you believe I've never really ever been camping in my life? Well, unless you count staying in a pop-up camper with my aunt, uncle, and cousins, or tenting it on my grandma's lawn... and I don't. I mean, serious camping. Perhaps it was growing up in the sticks as it was... already felt close enough to nature. Or perhaps it's because I can be a tad high-mainentence... and didn't actually think I could live without a hairdryer for more than a day. Well... I'll have you know that I went THREE DAYS without washing my hair! (Yes, I did bathe.. but the public bath we visited was very strict about not using shampoo or even soap since it was harmful for the environment.) Anyway, it was a good "virgin" experience for me... It was a pretty big group of us.... 14, to be exact... and just a short trip (2 nights; only 1 night camping, the 2nd was in a cabin.) It was a beautiful 3-hour hike from our cars to the camp-site, but carrying our huge packs made it all the more challenging. I came to the realization it can definitely be fun to camp if: 1.) you are with a group of good friends, particularly those who are experienced in the camping department and 2.) If you are prepared for the climate. I knew it would be cold there in the mountains, but I had no idea I would sleep with every article of clothing I packed on and my teeth would be chattering all night long. (Here is a loverly photo of me "the morning after" and then later that day when we chose to drink wine in the sun instead of hike with the rest of the group on the 2nd day!) Anyway, 'twas a good time and I would even attempt it again someday....


4.) Sports Day at my School (Mid-May)
Every school across Japan, from elementary to high school, has a Sports Day sometime within the school year, and it is a BIG DEAL. My school's takes place in May, right before it starts to get too schweaty. I guess there isn't really anything that compares to this back home... kind of like "Track & Field Day," but on a much larger scale.

The whole school (students & teachers) are divided into 4 teams (Blue, Red, Yellow, and White... at least at my school) and students compete in various events and the team with the most points at the end of the day wins. There are relay races, obstacle courses, tug-of-wars, even "cheerleaders," male and female, and just about anything that would demonstrate physical prowess and agility. The students practice for days and days and people from the community come to watch on the field. I posted several videos after this post, so you can check them out and get a better idea of all the sportiness that takes place.

5.) Esther came back to Japan! (Mid-May for 2 weeks) Esther is our good friend from Germany, who came to Japan at the same time in 2004... Last year, particularly, we hung out a lot... She was not an English teacher, but a "Coordinator for International Relations," which means she is pera-pera in Japanese and therefore got to speak Japanese and English all day long. And sometimes when she was greeted on the streets with a Japanese "Hallo," she felt like she was back in Germany... Anyway, she returned to Germany last summer but made us all happy when she came back to visit. We hung out at our favorite old cafes, bars, and karaoke places... But of course, having someone visit is always a good excuse to do stuff you don't usually do, like wear Halloween costume parts in public and go to watch Japanese baseball games. It was just like old times for us... but just a little different.