Once Upon a Tokyo

CSUN woes

Still in the process of trying to have some fun this weekend with Disneyland and all, but in the spare moment I thought I'd make sure I'm updating this stuff.

Well, this week I had some disappointing news. After *months* of correspondence (largely because it is all by the appropriately slang term "snail mail") CSUN has basically said it can do nothing for me, credential-wise. The words were, in effect, something like "because you have Crendential X, we don't offer and have never offered the Plus Y And Z to make what you need: Credential XYZ." Let me repeat the "we don't offer *and have never offered*" part. This, after I clearly stated in my beginning correspondence that I had Credential X and was only corresponding in order to ask about Plus Y And Z. Also after getting a money order-- a complicated business here in Japan, with fees that make it basically worthless now that they are graciously returning it to me.

On one hand, it makes me happy that I left the red tape of LAUSD and CSUN. On the other hand, it always finds a way to ensnare me, even across an ocean.

What does this mean for my teaching career? Honestly, I'm not sure yet. I will have to look at Plan B (or is it C or D at this point?) and figure out my options in the next few weeks.

Week in Review

So things are going to be a little crazy in October. Here's what's on my plate:

• School hours as normal, as we wind up our novel of study in English class and prepare for a philosopher's unit in Theory o' Knowledge
• The former means, of course, a writing assignment typically in the form of a 4-5 paragraph essay that must be graded/marked
• Fall Play rehearsals until 5:30 or 6:00
• Fall Play producing in the between time (props, backgrounds, costumes, etc.)
• Two online Masters classes requiring journal reviews and discussion board forums
• My Masters class research project must be performed, tallied, and reported on
• Reading and assessing three students' Extended Essays of approx. 4,000 words each.
• Life Group from church every Monday
• Learning Japanese if I can
• Drawing for fun
• Updating this blog

Here's some recent disruptions of the current routine:

• Three days of constant rain
• A typhoon expected to land on Tokyo on Thursday
• Over 25 students absent from school, prompting the administrators to "close" the high school due to influenza, although teachers are required to maintain regular attendance. This includes all after school activities, like, you guessed it, play rehearsals.
• Getting some paperwork returned from CS Northridge because I had a personal check and not a money order
• Now having to figure out how to get the money order from the post office-- the RIGHT post office, and before 4pm.

I'm not complaining, mind you. I'd rather be too busy than not-at-all busy, but it does make me look forward to the end of October, which I have decided will be Disneyland days.

Also, if I tend to forget to blog, you know why!

Director of Performing Arts?

It's not exactly the best-kept secret at my school, as students approached me at the end of the day offering congratulations. (And *I* certainly didn't tell anyone!)

I've been asked to direct the Spring Musical. I'm sure there will be more commentary on this to follow, but since most of the news would be gossip, office politics, and all-around "drama," which I don't want to feature on this site, I'm not sure how 'juicy' all that commentary will be.

You can rest assured, however, that I will do my best *not* to follow this example:

Headline news!

Yes, there is a typhoon currently slamming the shores of Tokyo, and yes, there is a newly-elected political party in the Japanese parliament that ousted the 50-plus years of their predecessors, and yes, I know Disney just bought Marvel Comics, but I have REAL news for you today.

You see, I was all set to write a post today about a curious phenomenon. It seems that in Japan, there is no etiquette about giving up your seat on the subway for a lady. True, there is etiquette about giving a seat up to the elderly, the pregnant, and the disabled, but that's only for designated seats at the end of each car. Sorry for those young, fully-abled, and unpregnant ladies-- it's every man, woman, and child for themselves when it comes to subway seating. I've seen mothers allow their clearly-old-enough children to have a seat. I've seen fathers and boyfriends take the seat while their significant other remains standing. I've even been politely refused by a grandmotherly lady when I tried to give up my seat for her like any upstanding Western gentlemen should. My mama taught me right.

But here's the headline news-- I saw a guy give up his seat for a girl today! It was a young college aged guy, fully decked out with sideways cap and hip-hop oversized sports jersey and baggy shorts. He stood up to allow a girl who came onto the train to have his seat. And in case you were wondering if there was something more flirtatious in his motive, that is not the case-- as he gave up his seat that was next to his girlfriend, with whom he was obviously into.

So thank you anonymous seat giver-upper. That was real class!

Welcome-Back Fireworks

This weekend marks my two-year anniversary, of sorts. The first weekend I arrived in Japan was the same weekend as the annual fireworks display for the area. And when I say it was a big display, I mean it was BIG. Imagine explosions the size of whole city blocks going off over your head, 500,000 people having picnics on the riverbank and "ooh-ing" and "aah-ing" and applauding for each one. And this goes on for a whole HOUR.

This weekend it was the "other" new teachers who took the lead in organizing the fireworks viewing. Some hosted a pre-barbeque, others hosted a post-cocktail hour, and we all shared a tarp on the riverbank. Good times, but bittersweet, as the fireworks echo that the summer is officially "over," with students arriving for fresh classes next week.

But what a send off!

That Says A Lot #38

One of the nice things about having so many trees around my place, being "in nature" as I call it, as much as that is possible in Japan, is that it's a nice sanctuary, secluded, and very beautiful. One of the bad things is that there are a lot of bugs around here, especially in these hot and humid months.

The cicadas are so loud it's almost painful at times. Then they fly into your windows with loud BUMPS as you try to watch a scary movie at night. I've seen mantis crawl up the windows, which makes me wonder if it feels like they're walking in mid-air, and it's a constant fight against the spiders who want to make webs that span my entire balcony. I've even had to fight off a cockroach or two inside the house, which forces me to clean up after myself every day, and I HATE cleaning up after myself.

I was having dinner with some Japanese friends and they understood my frustration and sympathized. When I tried to talk about exterminators, however, they were very confused. They didn't have a concept of the job "exterminator" for buildings, home owners associations, whatever. Suddenly, one of my friends had an epiphany: "Ah! It's like Ghostbusters for bugs!"

Only being able to explain what an exterminator is by comparing it Ghostbusters? That says a lot.

Elevator troubles

It's a little thing, true, but I love the fact that Japanese elevators are the most responsive in the world. Want those doors closed when you're inside? Just press the button, and they quickly slide shut. Need to keep 'em open for a little while? Just press the other button, and you can't wait a while without having to thrust your hand out against doors with minds of their own. At least, that's the way it is SUPPOSED to work.

When waiting for the elevator to get up to the hair salon, I heard a weak little "sumimasen!" (excuse me) from somewhere. It was a little old Japanese grandma, barely able to move faster than a slow shuffle. Everyone together now: Awwww! She rattled off a few lines of Japanese, and I wasn't sure she was even talking to me. Or maybe she was asking for handouts. Instead, she just wanted me to make sure I helped her with the elevator.

It took just enough time for her to get to the elevator when it opened, and I stood American-style, outside, so she could get inside first, even though I had to physically hold back the elevator doors. The doors seemed to protest. After all, you're just not supposed to put your hand there! They just kept trying to CLOSE. I barely made it inside, Indiana Jones-style.

Chiding myself for not realizing I should let the machines work FOR me, I was determined to press the Open button for the lady on her way out, and kept my finger on it. When the doors opened on the right floor, I dutifully pressed it.

And this is when Japan failed me. Little Old Grandma shuffled out exactly enough-- directly over the threshold-- to be pinned as the doors, regardless of button, closed down upon her! Yes, this little old lady who probably can't go outside because she'll blow away had the elevators chomp down upon her.

Somehow I managed to push the door out, the salon hosts managed to run over to escort her, and I wish I could explain in Japanese-- "it wasn't me! It was the BUTTON--! The BUTTON!"

Happy Obon Week!

This week is Obon, a holiday where you are supposed to honor your ancestors, typically at their family shrine. However, the way most celebrate today is that you return to your family home (that is, you leave the Big City to return to grandma and grandpa's house.) In that way, it becomes a bit like American Thanksgiving. And that's especially true in the sense that this is Japan's biggest traveling week. Hotels are booked, flights and bullet trains are filled, but many businesses (from corporations to mom-and-pops') are closed.

It's a great time to visit Tokyo, because instead of thousands of people crowding the streets, you only got hundreds.

That, and the week ends with a giant festival and fireworks display over the river in my neighborhood. Yay, ancestors!

A New Year, A little late

Okay, I've been meaning to update this for a while, but haven't really put my mind to it.

I knew that I wouldn't be able to do much during Christmas break, that's a given. But coming back, I've had birthday parties to attend, exams to prepare (and grade!), semester marks to tally, a speech team to prep, and et cetera et cetera. The second semester is underway, however, and that means we'll be settling in to a relative calm... at least until next weekend when I host the Book Club, try to organize a Lost/24 Viewing Party, and keep up on all the resolutions I've been putting off from LAST New Year's.

Anyway, I hope to continue some kind of blogging stuff, and I think a good way to start is to comment on *other* people's blogs. Linking and threadjacking-- it's the lazy blogger's way to write! I'll also share a few pet projects I've been working on in the midst of all the Life Stuff, listed above. Hope you enjoy!

T-Minus ten...

Ten days and counting until I come back to Cali!

Mark your calendars, alert the media!