Day 58: Last Week

My last week started Sunday technically, but today was the first school day of my last week. Ryota was sick this morning, so he didn't go to school with me. He was soaked yesterday in the cold rain, so I am not surprised that he is sick. Before going to school I made a few important calls. One to my friend Josh, who I will be climbing Mt. Fuji with on Friday. The second call was to my brother Justin, who lives in Saitama, Japan. I will be staying with Justin, his wife Asako, and their son Tiger starting this coming Monday.

At Notre Dame, I watched the broadcast of the morning television show. Today's show focused on the Notre Dame students who took part in the Gion festival. They were the "heros" of Gion. It was nice that they showed a video clip of the kids in the parade, since I missed them yesterday. My day at school was not very exciting, because all of the English classes have been cancelled for the week. I spent most of the morning catching up with my work from the Enei Gaashuku trip away from school. A good chunk of the day was also spent making sure that I get my final evaluation completed and a letter of recommendation from Mr. Yukita.

I ate lunch with the students today, and enjoyed every minute. When I finished my meal, I worked my way around Marion Hall, saying hello to all of the students. This week classes at Notre Dame end at noon, so that the home room teachers can have parent-teacher conferences. Reiko picked me up, and we went home. Ryota was still feeling a little sick, but better than the morning. I worked for a while, called my parents to tell them I survived the long-distance swimming camp, and watched Ryota until Reiko came back from a meeting at school. Just after four o'clock we drove to Ryota's karate class. The sensei had me take part in the class as well, suiting me up in a karate kimono and everything. It was fun doing karate again. I really loved the part where we actually got to kick the teacher. Of course he was wearing pads, but it was fun. Some of the kids even practiced full contact fighting., which was a lot of fun to watch. I was shocked to see them using hard, high kicks to the head and everything! After karate, we bought my ticket for the Shinkansen (bullet train), which I will be leaving Kyoto on Thursday evening.

The Kato's made yet another of my favorite dishes tonight: okonomiyaki. I still love okonomiyaki. It was delicious. I enjoyed watching Ryota trying to flip the okonomiyaki. Ryota and I played some more hand baseball after dinner. I really enjoy the game, and even Rex the dog helps me retrieve the ball and get Ryota out. All Rex asks in return is a treat, but sometimes he just runs away with the ball. I shared my photo album with Reiko and Ryota. They shared albums of Ryota when he was younger. He is a cute kid.

Day 57: Gion Matsuri

Breakfast today was great: eggs, toast, ham, and fruit. Ryota and I played some hand baseball after we ate. Hand baseball is popular with the kids here in Japan, but playing in the house might be rare. I have to admit it is fun throwing Ryota out as he runs around the furniture trying to make it home. We played a little yesterday too and I threw the ball with just the right timing as he turned the corner, and he fell to his knees. I felt bad, but it was an accident and even his mother was laughing. I don't think it really hurt him, but he made a good show of it. Nonetheless, it was hilarious.

I put on my new yukata for the first time, and it is actually really comfortable. We delayed leaving the house for a while due to the really heavy rain coming down. Ryota wore a yukata with pictures of beetles all over it. Ryota really likes beetles and dinosaurs. His mother tells me that he wants to be an archaeologist. At the Gion Festival, it was hard to get a good view of the Hoko and Yama (floats) as they moved down the street. Everyone was holding their umbrella up, so only the first couple rows of people could see well. We did get a chance to see some of the Hoko and Yama pass, though. I was happy to finally see the festival in action, but the rain was a definite drawback. It would have been exciting to see my Notre Dame Elementary students in the first float, but we showed up too late. I saw the students later on in the news, though. Children in their position become part of the festival culture and are selected to represent the Shinto deities themselves. I was surprised to see foreigners taking part in the parade. There were several non-Japanese people helping to carry the floats in the parade. Some of the floats are 20 meters to the top! They are also very heavy floats, and the wheels do not turn. Therefore, the workers must lay out strips of bamboo under the front wheels, and then the men holding the ropes turn the carts as needed.

We got out of the rain for a bit and had lunch in an Italian restaurant on the Kamo River. The food was great, the view was nice, and the company was fun too. We shared our meal with Ryota and Junnpei's English tutor and some other friends. The rain let up a little, but not for long. By the time lunch was finished, the festival was over for the most part. We went shopping for some Gion Matsuri souvenirs at Takashimaya. I also bought some sweets, a Japanese cookbook, and looked at some Japanese pottery. I would love to have a set of Japanese style pottery dishes for eating back home. There are some really neat looking designs here in Japan.

After I bought the cookbook, we drove back home. I tried to take a short nap, but the sound of Ryota bouncing the soccer ball upstairs didn't really make that possible. The Kato's are my last family here in Kyoto, so they want to be sure I do the things I want to do before leaving. They are making my favorite foods at home for us to eat together one last time. Tonight, Reiko made sukiyaki....Ooishi! There was an interesting television show on during dinner, in which famous Japanese comedians did physical challenges. For example, they had a competition for who could swim the furthest under water. Even more intriguing was the sort of tag game they played against a famous marathon runner. It was a funny show to watch.

Day 56: Gion with the Kato's

It was rough getting up this morning, but I wanted to have a good first day with my last homestay family, the Kato's. They picked me up at school at 10:00am, and we went to their house. I was surprised to see that they live right on the Kamo River! Their home is beautiful and the view from their second floor is awesome. They also have a poodle named Rex, but I think he hates me. He is always barking at me and has bit me a few times. Anyway, the Kato's gave me a yukata to wear for the Gion Matsuri! I was planning on borrowing a yukata from Mr. Arai, but now I don't even need to.

Some friends of the family came over and we had a BBQ on their porch. The porch faces the river and you can hear the water flowing below. We ate beef, salad, sausages, chicken, rice balls, American cherries, and watermelon. We tried to share jokes with one another, but the language barrier took the "funny" out of them. We understood each other, but something gets lost in the translation. The Kato's friends have a dog named Teddy just like I do! We played with the dogs a while and then I took a much needed nap.

Tonight was the big night for the Gion Matsuri. We had dinner near the festival at a Chinese restaurant. The food was great, as was the atmosphere. It was a Chinese restaurant, but there was a Japanese garden and jazz music playing. It is an interesting combination of things. The Kato's kept making the waitress try and describe the food in English, which was entertaining. I felt bad for the girl really. After our meal we went out into the crowded streets of the festival. We took a look at the floats, Hoko and Yama, which were on display. The tapestries which will be hung from each float in the parade tomorrow were displayed in store windows, and they are magnificent. They have survived hundreds of years, and even some kimono have been preserved and are used each year for the festival. Ryota, the second grade boy I am staying with, and I played a game at one of the booths in which we had to throw darts at a spinning wheel. I was so bad that they awarded me with some toy eye glasses. We had a good time, and then we went home for the night.

Day 55: What a Day

At breakfast this morning, I actually got to sit with Sister Beatrice. She is a kind, influential, and amazing person, so it is an honor to spend any time with her. She has dedicated her life to two things: God, and Notre Dame Elementary. She knows that I will never forget this swimming camp, nor my experiences in Japan. She has invited me to come back every summer for the swimming camp, which I will certainly do if my schedule allows. I want to have a continuing relationship with Notre Dame Elementary and its teachers.

At the beach, the students gathered again and bowed to the teachers. Then, everyone turned silently towards the sea, and bowed again. We had one short warm up swim, and then the B1 group swam their long-distance. I went with them, and we made it three times around the buoys. I am finding that my left knee no longer likes to swim the breast-stroke; it hurts. It is nice swimming with the students, though. Especially with the constant beating of the large drum and the other kids chanting, "Enya kora!" It is meant to keep the pace, but I think it is just a sound to keep our minds clear and focused on our swimming.

To my surprise, all of the group A1 students chose to take part in the select group swim, which is the finale of the swimming camp. It was exciting to think that we would be swimming straight out from the beach, and out of the marked swimming area. The fact that it was the last swim also made me excited. The drum started beating, and we marched row by row into the sea. We swam out to the breakers and then swam along them to the other side of the bay. The boats were following us and keeping a close eye, and all of the kids seemed honored to be part of the special group and the fun swim. The hardest part of the swim was the turning; I was on the outside of the turns, so I had to swim twice as fast as the people on the inside. We all sped up as we looked at the closing distance to the shoreline. As the students made their way up the beach, I shook hands with the other teachers. We were all happy to be finished, but glad we put forth the effort. What a great feeling. Even better, though, was the free time with the students. All of the kids got in the water and started splashing around. I walked through the crowd and the kids splashed me like crazy. I couldn't help but smile through the whole thing, and ignore the saltwater in my eyes. Everyone was all smiles. It was a perfect close to the trip.

The students bowed to us teachers, and gave us gifts they had made from paper and sea shells. All two-hundred or so of us turned to the sea and bowed one last time. The students all went back to the hotel to get ready to leave, but many teachers and I stayed to take down the tents and pack up the truck. It was so hot outside that it was painful to touch the metal framing of the tents. Before long, we were finished and headed back to the hotel to see the students off. We took some pictures together, my favorite of which is the picture of Hiroshi (Urayama Sensei) and I. He is a great person, and I have so much fun with him.

The remaining teachers and I sat down for a special lunch. It was a time for celebration over beer and curry rice. A van picked us up and brought us to the local fish market, where the teachers bought some fresh seafood. Then we departed from the train station. As we got closer to Kyoto, the stations were busier and busier. This is the big weekend of the Gion Matsuri Festival, and there are many tourists from Japan and elsewhere. The Japanese girls were all wearing their yukatas for the festival, which are beautiful traditional summer-style kimono.

I am staying at Notre Dame for the first time tonight, because the English teachers and I planned to go out together. Most of the teachers cancelled, but Afrela and Yukari (Shimizu Sensei) still wanted to go. I know I wanted to go, because I have never really been out in Japan, and this is my last weekend in Kyoto. I met Afrela at the Karasuma Oike station and then we met up with Yukari and her boyfriend, Rafael. They asked me where I wanted to eat, and I jokingly said, "Mexican food," but we actually found a Mexican restaurant! The place was called Mariachi and, yes, they had a mariachi. He was Japanese, but his Spanish singing was close enough to the real pronunciation. It was great having some Mexican food again!

Just as we were heading to find a fun place, the rain came pouring down. Yukari and Rafael had to leave, but Afrela and I went to a salsa club called Havana Club. Afrela loves salsa dancing, but I had never tried it before, so I was not expecting much success. I just wanted to have some fun. One of the instructors at the club realized that we were not dancing, so she grabbed me and taught me the basics. Then, Afrela and I gave it a try. I felt bad because she is pretty good, but I am not good at all. Still, it was fun.

We walked around and stopped into an Irish pub for a beer. It seems that there are a lot of foreigners around, myself included. It is a big time of year for tourism in Kyoto. Before calling it a night, Afrela and I went to a Philippino restaurant called Chicken Manila in Gion. Afrela is Philippino, and she knows the people at the restaurant. I met the musician there whose name is Steve. Believe it or not, Steve is from Chicago! We tried some Philippino food, sang a few songs karaoke, and then Steve offered to give me a ride home. There I was in Kyoto, Japan in the midst of the Gion Matsuri riding a moped home in the rain with a musician from Illinois. What a small world.

Day 54: The Real Deal

After a long sleep, it was easy for me to wake at five this morning. I went to the bath downstairs and got ready for what would surely be an enjoyable, but long day. We all ate breakfast, put our swimsuits on, and walked to the beach. The sun was already burning hot this morning, but at least the water is cool and refreshing. In the morning there was a still mist floating all along the shoreline from the waves crashing on the breakers. Today we practiced more for the final swimming events. I have been put in charge of warming up the group A1, section 3 students. I swam with all of the groups again, but took it easy since I will be swimming a lot more.

Everyone went back to the hotel for a rest and lunch. I took a shower, just to feel clean for a short while. For lunch we had eggs, and chicken over rice. The Japanese name translate to something like, "parent and child" over rice, which makes sense but it is a bit strange for the name of a food. We only had some time to rest before putting our swimsuits back on, reapplying the sunblock, and taking the walk back to the seaside for another swim. Urayama Sensei was sure to tell me, "this is the main event." First, group A1 swam for one hour and made four laps around the buoys. I am not sure the distance yet, but I will check with Urayama Sensei. Unlike the other teachers, I swam without fins or a kickboard. I wanted to swim just like the students. It was a workout, but a great accomplishment for us all too. As if that swim was not enough, group B2 started their long-distance about five minutes after the first group finished; I was back in the water swimming again. Group B2 swam for forty minutes, and a little over three laps around the bay. With that group I took a kickboard with me, but realized it is difficult to keep pace with it.

The swimming was completed for today, so we went back to the hotel for a shower and dinner. In the hotel lobby, some of the other teachers, volunteers, and I had some coffee. Negasi and his friend were impressed with the reports that I was typing for this blog. I shared a bunch of pictures with them too, which was fun. They don't speak any English, but we still have fun together. Sister Beatrice personally asked me to join the teachers tonight for the nighttime meeting. Urayama Sensei updated everyone on the procedures for tomorrow's swim events, and then Sister Beatrice asked me to come to the front of the room. Sister Beatrice explained her belief that I have been so much more than a student-teacher to the Notre Dame community. Otoh Sensei, the vice principal, shook my hand and told me that I am the best assistant to Notre Dame. It was a special moment for me, seeing the genuine appreciation in the eyes of the principal and vice principal. I hope they could see the appreciation in my eyes. They gave me a card, thanking me for being their "powerful partner" this summer. The teachers gave me two gifts: a clear pencil holder with fish floating inside, and a Japanese-style lantern with the name of this town on it. I was holding back the tears. In all honesty, I think I didn't expect this moment because I didn't want it to come. I don't want the goodbyes to start.

We shared some sushi, sweets, and tea before calling it a night. This camp is almost over already! Time goes so quickly. This week has flown by...this month...this summer! I suppose the obvious conclusion is that, contrary to most people's outlook on life, we do not have time to waste or time to wait. Do what you want to do...do it now.

Day 53: They are Here

This morning I woke before some of the other teachers, so I would have time for a bath before breakfast. Most Japanese people only shower or take a bath at night, but I still like my morning showers. The view of the mountains along the shore is breathtaking in the morning here. I walked outside for a few pictures. I also took some time to take advantage of the free internet in the hotel lobby. I could smell the fish and other traditional Japanese foods being prepared for breakfast. The teachers and I had sashimi, rice, Japanese pickles and miso soup with lobster. The food here is good, and hopefully will supply me the energy I will need to swim long-distances.

We walked the path along the water to the beach to prepare a few more things before the students and other teachers arrive. We laid tarps out under each tent so the students would not have to sit in the sand everyday. Then, we moved the buoys out deeper into the water; The tides keep moving in and out, forcing us to move the buoys again and again. We even cleaned the seaweed from the beach and bagged it up. I found a perfect sand dollar today sitting right on top of the sand. I also found one yesterday. Hopefully the sand dollars will serve as good luck charms here at the sea.

Back at the hotel we took showers and cleaned up a bit. We each had to move to a new room as well, seeing as the kids will be filling the rooms and other teachers will be joining us. The students arrived around noon. About 160 students came in five buses and gathered in front of the hotel for pictures and the opening ceremony. Today was really hot, but we had some swimming today anyway. First, we all headed inside for a lunch of rice and noodles.

All of the students went to the beach and prepared for their first encounter with the cool, unpredictable waters of the sea. I think they were all a bit nervous standing beside the seemingly infinite body of water. I was comfortable here already thanks to a practice swim yesterday, but the kids were somewhat anxious to get started. The students bowed to the teachers, as they always do, " Yoroshiku one ga ishimasu," which loosely means they wish us to treat them kindly. Then, they all did something that at once surprised me, and made perfect sense: they turned to the sea, bowed, and spoke the same words. It was a special moment for me to witness, and it speaks to the Japanese respect for one another as well as things less temporal than mankind.

Today I swam with the A1 and B1 groups two times each. The water was cooler than yesterday, but hopefully will not stay that way. Each of the groups swam around the buoys for about thirty minutes today. It was only a short practice for the students, but an important chance for the students to get acquainted with the water. The swims were easy for me, and swimming with the kids was fun. Within a few minutes, the students relaxed a bit as their anxiety was laid to rest...for now at least. The students walked back to the hotel, while a few teachers, volunteers, and I moved the buoys back into shallow water.

Our bathroom doesn't seem to get hot water, but I took a shower anyway. The front desk told us to wait a few minutes, but the water temperature didn't change. I brought my computer along on this trip, not for fun, but to try and keep up with my work. I had a half hour or so to type before our dinner. Following dinner, a businessman from the town came to speak to the students. I have heard that the man is such a great speaker, that he makes all of the students want to live near the sea. Mr. Yukita and Shimizu Sensei translated the man's stories, but Mr. Yukita and I left before he was finished. It was not mandatory for the teachers to be present during the speaker. I wanted to listen to him, but even Mr. Yukita could see the weariness in my face. I did not sleep much last night for some reason. I went to bed really early tonight lying with the balcony door open so I could hear the waves breaking on the shore.

Day 52: Enei Gaashuku

This morning I threw what was left to pack up into my suitcase before breakfast. This morning I left the Arai’s, moving my stuff to school, and I also left Kyoto for Mie prefecture. After breakfast, though, I left some gifts for the Arai family. I hope the t-shirts I left fit the kids. For the last time, I took a taxi to school, waving goodbye to Yoko. We shared some good times, and I really enjoyed her personality. She is also a smart woman and speaks English well, so we had some good conversations. I will miss Yoko and her family (and the dogs of course).

At school, I carried my suitcase to my room and grabbed a few things to bring with me. Urayama Sensei actually paged me to the office, which was funny. I had never been paged before. He didn’t want to be late for the subway, so we ran to Matsugasaki station and took the subway to Kyoto station. We met some of the other teachers at Kyoto station, as well as parents and volunteers who have come along to help with Enei Gaashuku (long-distance swim camp). We all boarded the limited express to Mie. I slept most of the two and a half hour ride there, as did the others. When I did open my eyes for brief moments I saw the beautiful countryside of Japan. There are mountains everywhere, rivers rolling between the slopes, and small rice fields growing wherever the landscape allows. Japan is quite beautiful.

When the train arrived at its final stop, we got off and took a van to the hotel where we are all staying for the next few days. I was surprised to see that the hotel is right on the seaside and the view of the surrounding area is spectacular! I could smell the salty water in the air and the Japanese food cooking inside. The hotel is called Horaiso and is located in the Ise-shima National Park. From the outside, the hotel looks modern, but everything else about it is traditional Japanese-style. There doesn’t seem to be much in the city except for people and fish. It is simply a small fishing town, where even the women harvest seafood for a living.

We all unloaded the truck of supplies into the hotel, and then sat down for lunch. The kids won’t come here until tomorrow, but today we will work hard preparing for the event. Lunch was delicious and it came with a nice view of the ocean! We had sashimi, shellfish soup, rice, tempura, and lobster, which this area is apparently famous for. I am sure that all of the sea food is famous here, for obvious reasons.

We all headed to the beach and put up the Notre Dame Elementary tents. Today was hot, just as every other day here, so it was not fun putting the tents up. I am not complaining, though, we had our fun. Urayama Sensei, Negasi, and I took our first swim in the sea together. We placed the buoys out in the water equidistant from the shore by carrying the cinderblocks into the deep water. It was a fun job to do, and it felt good to swim in the sea.

Tarashita Sensei and I went to the bath in the hotel to clean up and relax. The hotel has its own mineral water onsen (hot spring). The outdoor bath it practically hanging over the ocean, making it a perfect place to relax and soak in the scenery. Tarashita Sensei, I am quickly learning, is a really funny guy. Before this trip I had not spoken with him much, but today we started to get to know each other. We met the other teachers for dinner in a large tatami room. The food was already on the table, and it was a feast. We ate sashimi, yakiniku, vegetables, Japanese pickles, and awabi (abalone). We started to eat our meal and then I noticed that the awabi was moving…it was still alive!! Each of us had one large awabi in front of us on a grill. The waitress came around and lit the fires beneath the small grills. The awabi was dancing around in the heat. I could not believe my eyes, but this area, I am told, is known for “cruel barbeques.” It doesn’t take much thought to figure out the meaning of the name. It might be a cruel barbeque, but the seafood is as fresh as can be.

On a side note, I learned that Tarashita's father was working in a factory in Nagasaki when the atomic bomb exploded. Most of the workers died in the blast, and his father died later on due to the effects. The cruelty of men during wars is sad, and the results even more so. Tarashita Sensei told me that he has never hated America, but I think he wishes he had more time with his father. Many of his stories are about the times fishing with his father when he was young.

I think this trip will be one of the best experiences here in Japan. The teachers and I are really having fun together and I feel like I am really part of the family that is Notre Dame. Leaving next week will be extremely difficult for me, but I am going to be sure to enjoy this long-distance swim camp with the teachers and our wonderful students. Living by the sea is always a good way to make memories, enjoy ourselves, and appreciate life. After all, everything is better with an ocean view.

Day 51: Many Levels

This morning we had some tasty French toast for breakfast! It is nice to start the day with a good meal before taking the taxi to Notre Dame. When I arrived at school this morning, I used my preparation time during the first period for working on my blog and emails. It is challenging finding the time to work when there is so much to experience here in Kyoto and so many great opportunities for me within Notre Dame Elementary, but I do my best.

Afrela and Miko Sensei had English lessons with the first grade classes today, so I joined them. We had the students practice the family terms which we have been teaching them, and then they drew their family. I drew my family on the chalkboard for the kids to use as an example. My drawings were not very good, but some of the students’ were. They had to draw their family in their workbooks and then play a game with their partner in which one person points and asks, “Who’s this?” The other student answers accordingly, “This is my brother.” I really like using music to teach English, and so do Miko and Afrela. We sang the body song and then the family song. Each song has its own gestures which the students enjoy doing very much. Mr. Yukita videotaped the opening activities of our lesson today: the students making a line, standing straight, praying, and our greeting. Hopefully, I can get copies of such videos and pictures that other teachers have taken.

My room in the convent is quite a mess, so I spent so time after lunch organizing. It won’t be long before I have to pack all of the gifts, souvenirs, clothes, and teaching materials back into my suitcases for my departure. It will be interesting to see if I can fit everything. I got a last minute email from Chuck Sensei, and he needed my help for his sixth and seventh period classes. I helped Chuck during those lessons with the fourth graders. We focused on the phrase, “Where do you want to go?” We also practiced the names of fruits, vegetables, and parts of a person’s face. Following each review we played a game simply called Guess what’s Missing. The students enjoyed the games. I think the face one was the most entertaining because the person on the PowerPoint would be missing parts of his face. The face game also gave the students practice with plural nouns, something the Japanese have difficulties with. For example, “He is missing eyebrows.”

By the end of the school day I had taught first grade and fourth grade, but my work after school had me teaching other age groups as well. Afrela Sensei asked me to help her prepare some materials for the Discovery: Australia students. I helped her create sample thank you notes for the students to practice writing so they will be able to thank their host families and new friends in Australia. We all met in the science room and I started by explaining the opening of the letter. We gave the students templates and had them trace the content of the letter. When they finished tracing, then they practiced writing their own. For the most part, their letters will be the same, but I created a space for them to add personal comments about their favorite part of their stay. I think the students will make good use of the thank you letter handouts and lesson. With the few minutes that remained, I practiced conversational English with the students and made sure they understood the uses of the phrases included in their study packet. I wish I had more time to work with this group of students, but my schedule won’t allow me to meet with them again.

Yoko and the kids picked me up from school and we went shopping for a new swimsuit. I have a suit with me, but I wanted one more suitable for long-distance swimming. At first I thought of buying a wetsuit, but they are too hot and my size would have to be special ordered here in Japan. We went to a sporting goods store and I found some sandals, a swimsuit, and a shirt for swimming. Seeing as I will be swimming in the sea a lot, the shirt will protect me from the sunlight. I think I am ready to go to enei gaashuku now.

At home, Yoko made some Japanese curry rice. Curry rice is very good, so I was excited to hear that it was our dinner. After dinner we had some fun talking, playing with the dogs, and enjoying each other’s company. Tonight was my last night here at the Arai’s house. Tomorrow I will be on a train to the Mie prefecture, where I will stay until Saturday. The Arai’s are fun people and each of them has their own unique, interesting, and enjoyable personality. I will miss them dearly and I am very grateful for their kindness; I feel like part of the family.

Day 50: Wingardium Leviosa

The girls beat me outside to the taxi this morning, and to my surprise, the taxi pulled away just as I came out of the gate! The taxi rounded the corner and I thought for sure it was gone, but it stopped around the corner and came back for me. It was a little scare to start off the day. At school I sent the postcards that I had written and got to work on my blog and emails. I also met with Uriyama Sensei to discuss the details for our departure to Mie prefecture for the long-distance swim camp.

Miko, Afrela, and I taught the second grade classes today, practicing adjectives. Similar to the lesson with the first graders, we performed a skit in which I was a wizard while Miko and Afrela were witches. I think that I have perfected the art of deceiving the children when I “change” one object into another. The best was the small eraser, which I turned into a penguin eraser. I made sure to have the penguin eraser in my hand, asked some of the kids to blow on my hand to help perform the trick, and then I opened my hand to show the kids the magic I’d just worked. Only a few kids throughout the classes caught me switching the objects. For the most part, the students were captivated and engaged in the lesson. Afrela kept trying to use the phrase from Harry Potter, “Wingardium Leviosa,” but always seemed to say it differently. It was fun to listen to every time, and the students know all about Harry Potter.

After my classes today I met with Mr. Yukita to help with the editing of the Discovery: America DVD. He has edited most of the material, but wants my help in creating the final frames of the movie. Many people in the United States, including Notre Dame Sisters and host families, made the trip a success. Naturally, Mr. Yukita wants to put in a thank you to all of those people, and that is what I will write for tomorrow.

Yoko Arai picked me up after school, and we headed to her jewelry store, Joy. The kids were already waiting there. They study at the store and Miyuki is getting extra geometry lessons from one of the employees in preparation for her exams.

From the jewelry store we headed to a French restaurant called Le Bouchon, where we had dinner reservations. We had dinner with two friends of the family: Mr. Kamai and his son, Tomohito. The Kamai’s actually live in Utah and are visiting Japan. It was a fun a delicious meal. The kids took pictures of their funny faces again and some of mine as well. It is always great to share meals with new people and get to know them a little.

Back at home I said hello to the dogs and went to my room. Before bed I prepared my bag for our upcoming trip to the Mie prefecture for the Enei Gaashuku (long-distance swim camp). Some of the other teachers and I are sending our larger bags on the supply truck tomorrow instead of carrying them with us when we ride the train on Wednesday.

Day 49: Fun with the Family

Luckily, I had a chance to sleep a bit later than usual today. After breakfast I had some time to write postcards for my friends and family back home. I have been carrying them around for some time, but just got to writing them today. I just want to share some of my experiences with everyone back home, and let them know that I am thinking of them.

Yoko and I took the dogs to the countryside while the kids studied. The countryside where we walked looked like the Japan that I had pictured in my mind before visiting: rice fields, bamboo trees, local people, and mountains all around. We walked past several rice fields, traditional-style homes, and the Osawa pond and before reaching the Daikakuji Temple. We did not actually go into the Temple, but just looked into the entrance and turned back. Today was a very hot day and I was dying after a few minutes outside, so it was nice to get back in the car and turn the air conditioning on. I am sure the Temple is interesting, but the walk through the countryside was fun and something I had not really experienced before in Japan.

We took the dogs home and rested for a while. The plan for the day was to go bowling and the kids couldn’t wait. Maybe they were really excited to bowl, or perhaps they just did not want to study anymore. Either way, we all headed to the bowling alley. I was amazed to see how nice the bowling alley is. They have many lanes and leather couches above each one. Back in Wisconsin we used to bowl once a week in college, and it was a lot of fun. It is a sport that even the young kids can enjoy. The bowling alley even had a replay system which would show you throwing the ball and the ball hitting the pins. For serious bowlers they might use it to perfect their game, but we used it purely for entertainment. If Misaki was bowling, for example, I would run behind her and make faces or dance around. While she was playing she couldn’t see me, but after her frame it would show the replay and she would laugh. The replay was fun to play with.

As for the bowling itself, I have played better. Usually I have no trouble scoring over 120, but today I averaged about 100. It was a good time, though. Yoko beat me two out of three games, but my overall score was better. I let her win those two times because she is a black belt and might beat me up…just kidding; Yoko beat me fair and square. While we bowled we had some coke and French fries, both of which came from a vending machine. In Japan, they have vending machines for everything: beer, hot dogs, soda, candy, and just about anything else.

The strangest thing happened after our games of bowling. A couple of days ago a random memory of my brothers and I popped into my head. When we were younger my brother Tim had a Sega Genesis and we always played a fighting game called Virtua Fighter. It is one of those great memories from when all of the family still lived together. Anyway, I will get to the point. As I watched the girls play some of the games, I found a Virtua Fighter game! It would not have been a big deal, but the memory I thought of a few days ago made me want to play the game, and there it was! Strange.

The plan was to head to dinner at one of the Arai’s Korean BBQ restaurants, but we made a quick stop at their relative’s house first. The kids’ aunt and uncle just completed the construction of their new home. It was an absolutely gorgeous house! They have not moved in yet, but everything is finished. When we walked inside, we could see that mostly everything was made of beautiful wood. It was easy to enjoy the view of their well-landscaped backyard through the large picture window in the back wall of the house. Apparently the father designed the backyard and garden himself, personally selecting each tree from the mountains in the Kyoto area. If I ever build a house, I think I will try to make it exactly like theirs. First, I must get the money for such an extravagant project.

We made our way to the Korean BBQ in time for dinner. Mr. Arai was waiting for us in the room where we would dine. I was happy to be back in the building, because it is the same building where I first went after arriving in Japan; if you remember, this was the restaurant where I had to put my suit on in the car before going to my welcome dinner party in the basement. At the time, I had no idea where I was in Japan, but now I am more familiar with Kyoto and how to get around. The building, which Mr. Arai runs, is located at the intersection of Omiya and Shijo. For dinner we cooked up some meat right at our table: cow tongue, chicken, and beef. The very interesting new food for the day was a piece of raw liver. It was alright, but I only ate one piece.

Before we left the restaurant, the kids shared their best funny faces with me. Miyuki did not want to make the faces in front of me, so they went out of the room and took pictures of their faces to share with me. They were some pretty silly faces I must say. The kids are a lot of fun. We headed home after dinner and called it a night.

Day 48: Last Practice

Today is Saturday, but I was still at school by 8:00am. We had our last formal swimming practice for the long distance swim camp in the Pacific Ocean. I was not sure what to expect, but I was happy to find that many of the parents I know were there as volunteers for the camp. It is nice to run into people who you actually know; when I first arrived I did not know anyone in Kyoto. I have been training for swimming, but I quickly found that the training may have been unnecessary. When I practice swimming I swim at a fairly quick pace and really push myself to the limit, but swimming with the kids is quite slow. I was surprised to find the biggest challenge in merely staying afloat swimming at such a slow pace. I am assigned to swim with three of the four groups of students, and each group swam separately today, just as they will at the swimming camp called Enei Gaashuku.

While one part of each group was swimming, the other students sat along side the pool and kept the pace with a drum and a chant, “enya kora.” I am not sure of the spelling, but this is what is sounded like. I asked Sister Beatrice what the meaning of the phrase is, but it turns out that it really doesn’t mean anything. The saying is just something that is often associated with sailors and traveling at sea. After discussing it with Sister Beatrice and Mr. Yukita, I found that it may be most closely related to the phrase, “heave hoe.” Despite the distance of the swim in the sea, I think it is an amazing experience for the students as well as for me.

After the swimming practice, I was picked up by Yoko Arai and we drove to here jewelry store closer to downtown Kyoto. Yoko runs the building and the second floor is a nail salon. We had lunch on the second floor with Misato, Misaki, and one of the employees, Mary. The jewelry store is very nice and the Arai’s must be very organized to be able to handle such large scale businesses. Mr. Arai runs some restaurants and Pachinko parlors around Kyoto. In fact, the Pachinko parlor where my brothers and I quickly lost 1000 yen is one of the parlors run by him! Yoko, Misato, Misaki, and I went to the Takashiyama department store to shop for a yukata (simple summer-style kimono) for Miyuki to wear during the Gion Matsuri. First, I bought a pair of swimming goggles, but then we went to look at yukatas. While Yoko picked out some things for Miyuki, I wandered around the store. I checked out the kimono section and was shocked to see the prices of the kimono pieces. The belt-like band of cloth which ties in the back of the kimono is called an obi. Obi are very elegant, hand-woven, beautiful pieces of cloth. Some are even woven with some gold thread! Most of them were a few thousand dollars, but I found some as much as $10,000!!!!

We went grocery shopping and then headed home. Mary, the woman who works for Yoko, came over to eat dinner with us. She seems to speak some English and her and I spoke a bit. After dinner, we started watching one of the movies we rented yesterday, the March of the Penguins. It was only Misaki and I, and I found out immediately that the movie was in French! Still, it was interesting to watch, and the movie doesn’t always shave dialogue anyway. It is a fascinating movie, and it makes me wonder how they got such amazing footage of the penguins. Misaki soon fell asleep, so Miyuki came in and changed the movie to Terminator 3. We watched the whole movie together, and then I carried Misaki up to her bed. Children that young are so cute and their joy and excitement seems to spread to everyone around them.

Day 47: Tanabata

This morning we had a simple breakfast of bread, rolls, sausage, and fruit. I am excited that today is Friday, but my time here is growing ever more slim. My last couple weeks here will go very quickly because next week I will travel to the Sea for the swimming camp, and the following week is a short week in which each school day only goes until lunch! I have been trying to make a list of things I still want to do in Kyoto so that I may find the time before I go. No matter what I end up doing the rest of my time here, I want to be sure and enjoy it.

This morning we had a morning meeting at the beginning of the day. We always begin with a prayer, and today I read from the Gospel of Matthew (9:12,13). The part I read aloud ended with Jesus' response when asked why he sits with tax collectors and sinners: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." It is a part of the Gospels I am familiar with, and it was nice to be part of the morning prayer and share such a powerful message with the other teachers.

After the morning meeting I rushed over to the television studio because I knew that Misaki, one of the girls I am currently staying with, would be hosting the show. I wanted to watch her share her experience at Yamanoie this past week. I also wanted to take some pictures so I would have them to share with the Arai family. The show was a success. I went to my office for a few minutes and worked before heading out to find Afrela Sensei. To my surprise, Afrela Sensei and most of the other English staff we not here today! Mr. Yukita administered some English speaking tests, so the students did not have regular English class today. It is time like these that a simple memo on my desk would be appreciated.

Instead of English, I joined the science classes today. Endo Sensei was kind enough to let me join his class of fifth graders. First, I must describe the seemingly limitless resources and equipment available for the students here at Notre Dame Elementary (keep in mind that this is an elementary school). In the back of the science classroom there are glass cases filled with equipment and supplies for exploring the world of science. There are cases of preserved organisms for life science, digital scales, geology displays, voltmeters and other electric equipment, and a great quantity of chemistry equipment: Bunsen burners, beakers, flasks, ceramics, graduated cylinders, etc. My elementary school did not even have a flask, if I remember correctly. Typically in the United States, these sorts of lab materials only become available from junior high and above. Clearly the Japanese have a stronger focus on the sciences. In some of the fourth grade classrooms, they are even building solar-powered remote-control cars!! If that is not a fun and educational science project, then I don't know what is. Outside the science room there are fish tanks and a computerized weather station for additional learning opportunities. Next to the weather station is a large display showing a bird's-eye view of the school campus; There is a panel which has buttons for each type of plant on the landscape, and if you press the button, a light shows where on campus the type of plant is located. It appears to me that this interactive landscape display was created by the students themselves, perhaps a few years ago. To put it simply, this school has a great science program.

Today the students reviewed how to use the microscopes in the laboratory. Since the classes are so large, each microscope was shared by a group of four or five students. The assignment for today's lessons was for the students to observe fish eggs under the microscope, draw the organisms, and write some of their observations in their lab notebooks. I felt right at home helping the students find the eggs under the microscope, since I taught life science at Lombardi Middle School back home using a lot of microscope observations (Thank you Cindi!). When some of the students were finished with their observations, I increased their magnification and showed them the microorganisms swimming in the water. I saw a lot of Paramecium in the water, so I taught the kids about them and wrote the name in some of their notebooks. Seeing that I was writing in the lab books, the rest of the students started asking me to sign their notebooks. They thought I was signing autographs or something, but really I was trying to teach the advanced kids a bit more. I had fun in the science classes and was able to help them too.

After lunch with the second graders, I planned some activities for today's English club. Friday's are always shortened days, but then most of the students attend some type of club available here at school. Usually I join one of the sports clubs, but today I taught the English club instead. Mr. Yukita left the planning and teaching to me. First, we warmed up with a three-hint quiz. Basically, I think of something and give the students three hints. They can ask me questions about it (color, shape, etc.) and they have to figure out what the object is. I used some hard ones today, including rain drops, the ocean, and stars. The star mystery led into the first story I read today, the Star Weaver tale. Today is a holiday called Tanabata, and the story of the Star Weaver is the folk tale upon which the holiday is based: Orihime, the daughter of the God of the sky, used to weave cloth for the Gods on a machine called a tanahata. She fell in love with a man named Hikoboshi, who raised cows. As the two spent more and more time together, they neglected their work. This made Tenkou, the God of the sky, angry and he sent Orihime to the other side of the Amanogawa (the Milky Way, thought of as a river in the story). If the two lovers work hard, then Tenkou lets them meet only once a year, on July 7th. Orihime is thought of as the star Vega, and Hikoboshi as Altair. On July 7th, the two stars meet in the sky.

I am sure the students know the story of the holiday, but I thought it would be worthwhile to share the story in English and have them listen. After reading the story I had a quiz time. Since this was my first experience with the Friday English Club, I was not sure what to expect as far as age and ability level. As a result, my questions about the story were too difficult for the students. We some hints, we worked through the questions and then moved on to the next story. This time I read a book called Tough Boris, by Mem Fox. The students seemed more interested in that book. It is about a pirate, and it uses new adjectives to describe Boris. I introduced each new word and asked the students what they thought it meant. From the context and from the pictures in the book, the students were able to guess the meaning accurately. After reading, we played a quiz game once again.

When the quiz was over, Mr. Yukita changed our roles: the students became the teachers and I became the student. The students taught me Japanese words using familiar pictures on a PowerPoint. It was fun to have the students teach me and I think they really enjoyed teaching me. I learned a few new terms, and perhaps the students were able to draw some clear connections between their Japanese and English vocabulary.

After school, Yoko, Misato, Misaki, and I went to a video rental store and picked out some movies for tonight. We rented Mr. and Mrs. Smith and March of the Penguins. Tonight we all watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith and ate pizza! It was a nice relaxing night and it is fun just hanging out with the family.

Day 46: Wizardry

The girls and I had breakfast and took a taxi to school again this morning. On the way to school we always drive down the road which is known as "sightseeing road." There are many famous Temples that we pass by, for example, Ninnanji, Ryoanji, and Kinkakuji. This morning I watched the television show production as I normally do. Today's show focused on the Discovery America students and their experiences in Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Milwaukee. They shared photos of some of the activities they participated in, and then a video of their experience in Milwaukee. In the video I saw Sister Mary Alyce Lach, who was one of my college professors and used to be the head of the Education Department at St. Norbert College. It is great to see her face, since she is the person that I believe created the partnership between St. Norbert College and Notre Dame Elementary, paving the way for my awesome experience here in Kyoto. I actually found a picture of Sr. Mary Alyce in the break room here at school as well. It is a small world really.

Today I joined Miko Sensei and Afrela Sensei in the first grade classes. The first class I observed for most of the lesson. Miko and Afrela created a crazy skit to introduce the new material. They were both witches and one of them would magically change a "small book" into a "big book." They performed other tricks to introduce the use of adjectives to describe things. Some other examples are: small yellow umbrella/big blue umbrella, small eraser/penguin-shaped eraser, red pencil/blue pencil, red pen/blue pen, small ruler/big ruler, etc. We then played a fun guessing game in which the students had to guess the object under the cloak. The key was that the students had to be able to say the phrase using the adjective: "It is a small book."

After lunch I became the wizard in the skit. Afrela and Miko were the witches and they challenged me, saying that I couldn't make the book bigger or change the color of the pencils. Of course, I was able to use my magic and change the objects they presented to me. It was fun trying to switch the objects without the students seeing. It was a good thing that I had a cloak to use. Wearing the hat with the fake hair made the heat and humidity even more unbearable, but it was a fun lesson.

After school I helped Chuck Sensei with the advanced English group. We broke the students into groups and practiced phrases including places: "Where is Joey?" and "He is in the bedroom." I had each of the kids take a turn answering the question, as I pointed to the place in the textbook where Joey was. I also had them do some recitation of the phrases as a group. We studied in groups for about ten minutes and then moved on to game time. Chuck led the students in a game of bingo, using animal names and pictures instead of numbers. I walked around and helped the students if they were struggling. When the lesson was over I changed into my swimsuit and went for a swim. Today I swam 750 meters in the pool, which is thirty laps. It was a difficult swim since I was sore from karate yesterday.

Back at home I started to watch my Pirates of the Caribbean DVD on my laptop. Misaki sat with me and so did the two dogs. It was fun to relax with them, and Misaki is really cute. Yoko received a notice in the mail today saying that she passed the test for her black belt! I gave her a high five, because that is awesome: my host mother is a black belt! We had to pause the movie for dinner. I was happy to see that dinner was spaghetti with meat sauce...so delicious. After dinner Misaki, Apollo and I sat together and finished watching the movie. I went to bed a little earlier than usual because I was exhausted from the long day at school and my long swim.