Tarumi is smack bang in the middle of suburbia. But, don't go conjuring any images of Perth's ever expanding suburban sprawl which creeps for kilometers up and down WA's coast and has a two dimensional feel with its love of the spacious one storey house, because here in suburban Japan everything is cluttered--land, sea and sky. For instance, below is a picture of the street we walk up every morning to catch the bus to school--here, to illuminate this example, I will include a little anecdote which will hopefully also provide another gateway into our humble lives in Japan. Matthew and I work at two different high schools, I'm at a school named Maiko Senior High School and Matthew is at a school called Kobe Takatsuka Senior High School. My school is approximately 45 minutes closer to our apartment in Tarumi than Matt's. Nonetheless, being
the hopeless romantic that I am, I like to catch the bus to school with Matthew in the morning even though this means I arrive at the rather ungodly hour of 7.30 am despite not being expected to arrive until 8.30 am. However, as I write this blog I am struck by the idiocy of my romantic gesture. This street, which is typical of all suburban streets in Japan, is very narrow. So narrow in fact that it is only wide enough to fit one person and one car, here my idiocy may start to become apparent. As this street is in the middle of suburbia, and as it services two-way traffic, and as suburbanites tend to commute by car to work in the morning, I can't truly say that Matthew and I walk together up the street to the bus stop. A more accurate description would be to say that we battle our way between the electricity poles, the huge open half cubic meter drains and the on-coming traffic in single file. Needless to say every morning is quite an adventure!
However, this is not to take away from the incredible landscape,
architecture and gardens we are privy to even on this small walk. Take a look below and see the perfectly trimmed hedges of a local house, a view of the amazing Akashi bridge from the top of the street and the glorious mountains that create a ledge for the sky to sit upon--it is truly a beautiful place.
But of course what we have the most affection for in Tarumi (after each other and the local cats) is our "cosy" apartment--euphemisms are fun. Luckily we were not set up with a an apartment in one of the mega complexes, instead our little homestead is nestled in a group of only eight apartments or "mansions" as they are called here (I laugh every time I say I live in a mansion--and not a quiet laugh but a full bellied gawf).
Interestingly, despite having four apartments on the bottom floor and four apartments on the top floor we live in apartment 2 (floor 2) 05 (apartment 5). Why not 04? Well, in Japan the number four is shrouded in suspicion and is the source of great distrust, not least because the Japanese word for four, shi, and the word for death are the same, so to overcome the problem they simply forewent the number 4 and jumped straight to number 5. Our apartment has four rooms--two tatami rooms which are sectioned off by sliding doors, a kitchen and bathroom/laundry/toilet area. While it is small it is very comfortable and not to mention very functional--the size really encourages one to put things away. And, as those politically correct people say, a person's home is their castle or in this case their mansion.
7 comments:
heyyyy
sounds like ur "mansion" is pretty cosy lol
any way how are you??
me and brie need to start email our pictures to u :)
Do you have to speak japanese at the school you teach at our do they speak english??
Well have fun
miss you heaps
Love Sam xx
Hey Miss
We miss you.
You have to come back to see us one day lol.
But I think I speak for everyone when i say i am very disappointed in you. YOU NEED TO BLOG MORE
lol
sounds like your having fun.
Hayley xx
That is a rather interesting phone! By the looks of it, it seems like it would cost a small fortune.
With streets as chaotic as you have described, has it been a rather hard transition moving there? You mention the two of you catch a bus to school. Do you have a car? Or do you have any thoughts of getting one? Or would it be a waste of time considering the busy streets you have talked about.
How come you have been placed at two different schools? Are there any major differences between the two, academically?
You arrive so early in the morning! What do you end up doing for all that time?
Haha. That does seem like quite an adventure.
That is quite a view of the bridge. Without your, shall I say, lyrical descriptions I don't think many people would see it relatively the same way.
Sounds like you're obviously settled down and it's great to know everything seems to be in order. Knowing that you both have a set routine nearly every morning of going to school, what do you do in your spare time? Been to see any local sites?
Post more, it's good to know how you both are going. =]
Kym
Hi guys: yes I know the lack of blogging is disappointing. Hopefully, with more home access this will improve. I have to admit coming to Japan in what seems to be a interminably long summer may have been a mistake. I mean two summers in one year: what was I thinking? Being an old woman 25, this means that in the afternoon I usually stumble down the hill that I triumphantly and adventurously climb every morning with only the thought of a tall, cool glass of water stopping me from lying down on the road and making pretend I am a speed hump. When I do finally reach my "mansion," which I affectionately refer to as "hell's inferno" after it has duteously spent the day storing heat for me to enjoy upon my return home, I usually collapse on the futon sofa bed with my glass of water exhausted. This may also account for the lack of blogging.
Despite my overly dramatic representation of the heat (I actually spend most of the day in an air-conditioned office), I am having a great time. Once it's cooled off at around 7.30 Matt and I usually go exploring--we found ancient giant tombs just down the road on Wednesday night! I have also fallen in love with sweet soy bean paste and buy myself sweets made with the stuff almost every day.
We have no need to buy a car as buses also traverse the tiny suburban streets and form a really good transport network, and we are also only a 10 minute walk from a train station that ultimately connects us to everywhere in Japan (except Hokkaido which I am told can only be reached by plane).
I don't need to speak any Japanese as I mainly work with the Japanese English Teachers (JTE) and most of the other staff are keen to practice their English with a native speaker. As my role is as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) there is always a JTE in the classroom with me, which helps to keep classes moving at a reasonable pace (we don't get too caught up in students not being able following activity instructions in English and can get right into practicing the English language skill the activity was designed to help students develop). So, even in the classroom I don't need to speak English.
However, I would like to pick up more Japanese, listening to native speakers is especially difficult as to my ears they speak really fast. I am starting to use a super program on the internet called Japanese Pod 101 which is really helpful--the listening lessons are free if you want to check it out, you can learn how to introduce your self in Japanese (Japanese people are always very impressed when they hear a foreigner try to use Japanese).
Matt and I are at different school because there is usually only one ALT per school--you see students only get one English Oral Communication class per week, they learn to read and write English reading in their other 4 English classes, so school really only need one native English speaker.
The only real difference is that the students are much quieter in class. They still get really hot by the end of the week, but instead of getting restless and acting like they have ants in their pants or mouths as is sometimes the case , they will just put their head on the desk--much easier to manage a swift tickle on the side of their torso to rouse them and a quick explanation of the activity instructions to get them on their way is all that is needed, no calls home to parents or blue notes necessary. Absolute bliss!
Matt and I both teach at middle academic schools, which means that the students' study habits are average (and I don't mean that as a euphemism for bad--they are just average). Some of the students have outstanding English abilities as they go to cram schools for extra tuition. One girl in second year spent three weeks in Perth over the summer holidays and helps me to translate from English into Japanese when I am talking informally to students if she is there.
Today we are going to Kobe city to climb up a giant port tower, hopefully we will get some great pictures and I post a blog tonight.
Twenty five, old? No way! Although what you said was rather funny. How long does it take you to come up with these detailed explanations? Haha, I mean... a speed bump? How do you think of these things?! And the sarcasm which comes with 'affectionately refer to as "hell's inferno"’, is priceless!!
Well, not to disappoint you or anything but the weather here is quite nice. We're just getting over winter now, so there have been a lot of fine days with a few showers every now and then. With temperatures not exceeding about twenty three degrees the weather's going to be great for our school holidays!
Ancient giant tombs just down the road? Wow, seems quite odd though. Not needing to buy a car sounds rather good. You’d save a lot of money on petrol.
Oh, okay then. That paragraph kind of made absolutely no sense to me at all, this being about speaking Japanese or English in a classroom, but oh well. So do you know a lot of Japanese now? What can you say fluently? Is it hard to buy things at shops because of the language difference? Or do many Japanese speak English anyway?
How long are the English Oral Communication Classes normally? How long does school go for a day there? Hey! We can be quiet in class too, you know. Instead of blue notes or any disciplinary methods we may have at Jsr, what do they have at schools in Japan?
Well, climbing a giant port tower sounds like fun! Although it also sounds high, so I wouldn’t be too keen on the idea. Hope you enjoy climbing, and I look forward to that post!
Kym
Yeah, I'm happy to way that the weather has finally turned, but so have the evenings (turned dark that is). I was at school until 6pm this evening--I was helping to plan a trip to Tokyo Disney in November and I was teaching my English Speaking Society how to use homie talk (they are now full bottle on the meaning and use of diss, playa, phat, chump and wack)--and it was already dark outside. It feels like only last week when Matthew and I were out strolling around the streets at 7.30 bathed in a glorious, albeit sweaty, sunlight!
To answer your rapid fire questions:
1. Oral Communication classes are 50 minutes long, but I learnt today that during exam times --which happen twice a term--students only attend school for half a day and toward Christmas time they also only attend class for half a day and have their morning classes shortened to 40 minutes.
2. The school day starts at 8.50 and finishes at 3.20, there is a ten minute break between classes and only 1 PCG a week for 50 minutes, also, students clean the school for 10 minutes at the end of every day.
3. Sorry for generalising, of course Australian classes can be quiet it's just not the norm, whereas it seems to be in Japan. The learning style seems to be of the "chalk and talk" method--this is when the teacher instructs the students from the whiteboard and the students copy down the information into their books (kind of like lessons where I would show you how to plan and organise your ideas for an essay), whereas in Australia the dominant teaching style is called "student-centered learning" where teachers try to help students make connections between ideas themselves, and this requires a lot more talking by the students. So, I think, one of the reasons Australian students seem to talk more than Japanese students in class is because of the different kinds of activities we get you to do. Definitely my Oral Communication classes can be quite loud, especially when I get students to have a competition to see who can fit the most marshmallows in their mouth at once. I swear it was tied to a learning activity.
4. I don't really know what they do to discipline students. I saw one girl come into the office, remove her earrings and when she left the teacher write her name and the time on the whiteboard, but I'm not sure what happened to her. Other than that I can't really tell and I don't ask--discipling is such a nasty business! It's best just to stay out of trouble.
Every time I reply to your posts I copy what you’ve said into Word, so I can respond to each paragraph individually and in order (This method also helps with spelling errors.), and every time there’s always close to a page, if not one already! You explain so much! – which of course, I suppose, is a good thing to get an idea of what you mean and therefore how you’re going, teaching or just anything really.
Did you ever stay as late as six pm at Jsr? – apart from interviews etc. Do you get to go on that trip to Tokyo? That would be so wicked. Haha, ‘homie’ talk. I never knew you had that in you.
My rambling aside, wow I never really realised how much education must mean in Japan. They have two exams every term? I think I’d die! – (Somewhat mild dramatisation) However, the fifteen week term you mentioned sounds rather overwhelming I must agree. I mean absolutely no offence to you or Matt when I say this, but being stuck with teachers non-stop for that long would drive me insane! - (That was a generalisation really, some teachers aren’t so bad) When does their term finish? I guess the half days on some occasions would make up for some of the extra studying and such. (Well, I say ‘extra’ meaning more then we have to do in Australia. Although, then again that may be a generalisation because I don’t know what other schools in Australia are like.)
I don’t get what the point of having one pcg a week has, because isn’t it just attendance call? Aw, we must get it good – cleaning the school, wise. Do you have to help clean up too? Haha.
Oh, I see. The teaching methods would explain the reference to student behaviour or attention. I miss those ‘chalk and talk’ lessons you gave us. We don’t get them now. We always have to have our books out when we get to class – it’s become expected of us – but sometimes it’s only to write down about two sentences. I find that hardly worth it. Sometimes we don’t even write in them so we have to put them away but still it’s expected of us to always have them out. Student-centred learning? By my observations in class we don’t get too much of that teaching method either. We are given a question or something to think about and if no one puts up their hand we are told the answer. We don’t even get much of a chance to think about it or any hints if we can’t think. When we had you as a teacher if we gave an answer and it wasn’t correct or slightly wrong you would say either a synonym or help us towards the right answer and then we’d eventually get it right. If we give an answer nowadays and it’s slightly wrong we’re told that it is wrong, or not exactly correct, which is quickly followed by the right answer being directly told to us. The thinking process sometimes doesn’t even get started. It’s most annoying sometimes.
These thoughts to teaching methods supply me with a theory as to why some people may not like Ms Thorpe too much. I myself am still getting use to the way we are taught.
As to get away from my rambling again, my train of thought has noticeably gone away from teaching and straight to the fact that the word ‘marshmallows’ has been mentioned. What kind of ‘learning activity’ involves marshmallows and how come we never did those ‘learning activities’? Sounds like fun. The students are lucky for that.
’.. but I’m not sure what happened to her’ taken out of context that line seems rather intimidating. Like from a horror or thriller movie.
I find myself always comparing the students, teachers and schools when I really shouldn’t be talking about that so much. I’m sorry for that. So, onto a new topic; basically a load of random questions!
- Have you been anywhere exciting recently?
- Do you have any plans to go anywhere in the future?
- Do you and Matt wander the streets often?
- Do you miss your old house and way of life?
- How’s the new life shaping to be? -- Is it going to get any different because of new factors of some sort?
- Do you wish I’d stop asking questions?
I find myself getting annoyed at asking questions, so I’ll stop there, with the exception of one question I was hoping to be answered. Do you know if/when you’ll be coming back to visit Australia? - Something like two, three years time?
I suppose this blog fills some of the void which was once our English teacher, but I’m sure that all of the students you’ve know/n, including me, don’t miss the classes - (I type that with a laugh. I don’t think many people would miss any class for that matter!) - or the teaching methods or anything like that, but miss you! The fact that:
a) we would always be greeted with in a friendly manner, - you’d always smile and say hello if we didn’t already say it first
b) we could always talk to you about anything random, - our Thursday lunch walks!
c) you could always mention something completely personal or random, – remember your blankey?
d) you could give us real life examples of a situation (in class), which in the end really had not much to do with the topic, - the omnibus story
e) you told us about your life at home, - well, mainly your cat but still the stories would make us laugh and inventively listen
f) you had time for annoying queries – such as me doing two Englishes
Now all these examples are my personal experiences but I’m sure others can relate to all of these and a lot more such as the fact that you were better and more than a teacher. Apparently you can do the splits too? I never knew that. A last fact being that I only had you as a teacher for two terms and I feel the need to go on this blog nearly every day to check for updates as to how it’s like in Japan and how you’re going. Now, that’s got to say something about the people who you’ve met and taught, so therefore give you a somewhat solid reason to come back to visit (As well as all of your own reasons). So hopefully it’ll be soon, before our year graduates, so we can all see you again.
Hmm, rambling once again. Sorry. I’ll make the next comment/response I make a lot shorter. Just wanted to know if you had any thoughts at all as to when you were going to come back to visit. So anyways, enjoy the cool nights and good weather you seem to be having!
Kym
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