copied from a blast email I sent to Earlham folks I haven't already heard from
So, Japan kicks ass. I think everyone would pretty much already know that is how I think but I figured I'd say it again anyways. Things here are going great. I don't have a computer and I think that not having it is going to come and bite me in the ass later but there really isn't much I can do about it. The group that went this year seems to be getting along fine and even if all 12 of us don't hang out all the time, it is still cool. As it turns out, Kelly, Kim, Aleks, Rylan, Ian and I tend to hang out almost exclusively but not because we just tend to end up doing similar sorts of things like going to the mall today after class and having the world's largest ice cream sundae. You should see the pictures up on facebook. Simply ridiculous how big that thing was.
We started classes this week and I go to my host school for the first time tomorrow. I am very, very nervous cuz I have to give a speech in front of all the teachers and I also have to try and teach for the first time in my life. The other English teachers seem to be pretty cool so that is good. One teacher honestly looks like she is 12 years old but in fact she has been teaching for 4 years already. I was blown away. But Japan is like that. Things here just seem to blow me away in just how absolutely absurd they are.
Examples of this would first of all be their TV. My family's favorite variety show features a twice-weekly segment where some Japanese comedians dress up in totally stereotypical outfits from different countries (US, Mexico, China, India, and Russia) and try to pick up various items of food as it comes past them on a conveyor belt with chopsticks while being completely offensive and completely make fun of whatever country they are dressed up as. It is absolutely hysterical. Another segment on the show features one of the female comedians playing a game of "shiritori" with some younger female Japanese pop star and the loser has to trade an article of clothing with the winner. The game is played so that you have a starting word and you have to come up with another word that starts with the letter of the starting word. If you don't come up with a real word, you lose. The comedian inevitably wins every time and her cloths are all 500 yen or so and the pop stars' are all about 10,000 yen or so and so she is very reluctant to take them off and trade. The do lower a screen so you can't see them change but still. THIS SO CRAZY.
The thing that blew me away most, I have to say is the fact that some Japanese older couples buy robot babies who weigh and act the same as real babies (i.e. they cry and whine and whatnot at the worst times) because they aren't having real children and in their old age wish they had had some kids. Kinda creepy. Just a bit.
My host family is awesome and I absolutely adore my host sister's little kid. He is 1 year and 4 months and is fucking adorable. He knows about 10 words and is right now crying cuz his grandpa is trying to give him a bath. My host family is very chill and they didn't give me a curfew which I am forever grateful of. They have been incredbly nice and I couldn't have hoped for better.
Last tuesday, Rylan, Ian, Aleks, Kim, and Kelly and I all went out to this great little bar in downtown Morioka where they have this thing where you pay $15 and it is all you can drink for 2 1/2 hrs. It is tons of fun. THey have this real fruity drinks that taste just like italian sodas or something but after a number of them you start to realize that there is actually alcohol in them. Not much but after a few you feel it. Rylan ended up passing out on the table and passing out in the street while we called him a cab cuz he was waaay too gone to ride his bike. It was quite a sight.
Anyways, I think this is plenty long enough of an email so I will end it here. Hope everyone is doing well on campus and people should send me emails to let me know how things are going. I miss you all but I will admit that I am having a blast here and wouldn't trade this experience for anything.
Dan
We started classes this week and I go to my host school for the first time tomorrow. I am very, very nervous cuz I have to give a speech in front of all the teachers and I also have to try and teach for the first time in my life. The other English teachers seem to be pretty cool so that is good. One teacher honestly looks like she is 12 years old but in fact she has been teaching for 4 years already. I was blown away. But Japan is like that. Things here just seem to blow me away in just how absolutely absurd they are.
Examples of this would first of all be their TV. My family's favorite variety show features a twice-weekly segment where some Japanese comedians dress up in totally stereotypical outfits from different countries (US, Mexico, China, India, and Russia) and try to pick up various items of food as it comes past them on a conveyor belt with chopsticks while being completely offensive and completely make fun of whatever country they are dressed up as. It is absolutely hysterical. Another segment on the show features one of the female comedians playing a game of "shiritori" with some younger female Japanese pop star and the loser has to trade an article of clothing with the winner. The game is played so that you have a starting word and you have to come up with another word that starts with the letter of the starting word. If you don't come up with a real word, you lose. The comedian inevitably wins every time and her cloths are all 500 yen or so and the pop stars' are all about 10,000 yen or so and so she is very reluctant to take them off and trade. The do lower a screen so you can't see them change but still. THIS SO CRAZY.
The thing that blew me away most, I have to say is the fact that some Japanese older couples buy robot babies who weigh and act the same as real babies (i.e. they cry and whine and whatnot at the worst times) because they aren't having real children and in their old age wish they had had some kids. Kinda creepy. Just a bit.
My host family is awesome and I absolutely adore my host sister's little kid. He is 1 year and 4 months and is fucking adorable. He knows about 10 words and is right now crying cuz his grandpa is trying to give him a bath. My host family is very chill and they didn't give me a curfew which I am forever grateful of. They have been incredbly nice and I couldn't have hoped for better.
Last tuesday, Rylan, Ian, Aleks, Kim, and Kelly and I all went out to this great little bar in downtown Morioka where they have this thing where you pay $15 and it is all you can drink for 2 1/2 hrs. It is tons of fun. THey have this real fruity drinks that taste just like italian sodas or something but after a number of them you start to realize that there is actually alcohol in them. Not much but after a few you feel it. Rylan ended up passing out on the table and passing out in the street while we called him a cab cuz he was waaay too gone to ride his bike. It was quite a sight.
Anyways, I think this is plenty long enough of an email so I will end it here. Hope everyone is doing well on campus and people should send me emails to let me know how things are going. I miss you all but I will admit that I am having a blast here and wouldn't trade this experience for anything.
Dan