Quick Update

7-1-08 (7:42 PM Tuesday locally, 3:42 AM back home. I think.)

Quick review of what happened after my last post yesterday: karate club. First they had us take off both out shoes and socks, then we could put them back on, then just our shoes had to come off. During all of this, I discovered that I have a blister on my right big toe. I’ve done a lot of walking in the past, and this is the first time I’ve gotten a blister, which should go to show just how much more intense it is to be over here.

The club was not as interesting as it sounded. We pretty much just watched them practice. I didn’t expect (or want) anything more, but the kendo club put on a better show. I understand that some of the more active students (including one who had practiced karate) got to participate a little bit during the later parts of the meeting, but I was long gone by then. An hour was polite, and that was what I stayed.

Now for today.

We had pizza today. Japanese pizza. No, not okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), that was scheduled for tomorrow. Pizza with Japanese-style toppings. Ranged from bacon-like pork with corn to shrimp to veggies and some unidentifiable meat. Pretty yummy, but surprisingly greasy. We were originally going to eat round sushi, but that was changed because it conflicted with what we would do later. Being able to look back on it, I would have taken the sushi over what it conflicted with.

What it conflicted with was us seeing a kabuki play. Kabuki is a highly-stylized form of Japanese play, usually a comedy, and only performed by men. Yes, even the female roles are played by men. I was able to understand the plot of the play (thanks mostly to a summary in English rather than my skill in Japanese). Even the Japanese people have difficulty understanding some of what is said in kabuki thanks to the archaic speech used in it (think the Japanese version of Shakespearean English). I tried to enjoy the play, I really did, but just couldn’t find it funny. Or entertaining. I almost fell asleep several times.

Getting to the play was slightly painful as well. At first, the trip was great; we went to a part of Tokyo that I hadn’t been to before (Tachikawa), and my first thought once out of the station was “This looks like a fun place!” Unfortunately, one of the trains we were going to catch was undergoing repairs, and we had to take a more roundabout route than was planned. It included a lot of walking. At this point, I should remind you that my feet have begun to blister. Even with that, it was pretty fun at first. The problem was the distance we had to walk. I’m getting used to long distances, but I was panting for water (which I wouldn’t find until after we left the play about two hours later) by the time we got to the theater.

The most enjoyable part of the trip was when we stumbled upon a vending machine that served the closest thing any of us have found to chocolate milk in Japan. The iced cocoa wasn’t quite right, but it was close enough. On the topic of vending machines, anybody who wants to come to Japan for the cigarette vending machines had better bring proof of age. As some members of my class found out today, they have now implemented ID scanners on all of the cigarette vending machines. Oh, and in most urban areas, it seems that the beer vending machines are a thing of the past; I hear that they only remain out in rural areas.

Earlier, I mentioned that okonomiyaki was scheduled for tomorrow. It no longer is. Kazuko did not give a reason. As such, I’m tagging along with Ryan and a few others who are going to Machida for lunch tomorrow. We will eat okonomiyaki. It may be a little expensive, but I will eat it.

On Thursday, we’re scheduled to visit a local elementary school. We will be split up, and one of us sent to each class. Some of the less experienced students will have students from the university helping them out, but I don’t know how useful they will be. Essentially, we are expected to entertain the children. Kazuko says that it might just be for a half-hour, but the schedule has it being significantly longer. We also don’t know how much English the children know. I’m planning on making some cards with pictures on them and words on the other side, and using them to play “karudo” with the kids. I’m not sure if that is the right name for the game. Essentially, the game consists of a caller (me) calling out a card (all of the cards are laid out on a table) and the students grabbing the card that is called. Whoever has the most at the end is the winner.

I haven’t decided yet if I want the words on the cards to be the English words with me calling out the Japanese names or the Japanese words with me calling out the English names. It would be helpful to know how much English the students know.

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10:25 AM, Wednesday

We're scheduled ot make some sort of Japanese food on Friday. We were originally going to roll some sushi, but Kazuko has decided that okonomiyaki will be a better choice. Many of us hope that she sticks with it, myself included. Doubtful now that I'll go to machida to eat today. Probably just drop by the bakery.