Follow the Night Light

For the past month or so, I have been taking bellydancing with my friend Jessica. I took bellydancing briefly when I was in high school, but we are basically both beginners which is very very evident in our class. (Which is made up of very skinny Japanese girls).

This past weekend, we had a performance! My first public performance of anything in a long time.

The show was about the least Japanese thing I could imagine: an italian restaurant full of half-naked/midriff baring women shaking it interspersed with salsa music.

It was quite a lot of fun though. We got shiny costumes which were fun. After all of the amateur student performances, my teacher and the other advanced dancers performed, which was wonderful.  I can’t wait to get actually good at dancing.

The next day was Xmas eve, which happened to be a holiday. We decided to go ice skating before an evening of fondue, Xmas cake and gift exchanging.

I’ve only been ice skating a handful of times, so it’s always and adventure. I am very unskilled, so I usually spend most of my time holding onto the wall moving at a snail’s pace. Of course there is always the added danger of small fast moving children zooming her and there. Also, there always seem to be young asian hockey players which makes me think of Sakende Yaruze. This time had all of that, plus really bad ice and an amazing old man putting everyone else to shame. It was pretty fun once I kind of got the hang of it.

Christmas itself was a non-event really. It was my first away from home, but I made it through all right.

That night I had my first enkai with my school. It was pretty fun. We played a lot of random games and had presents as prizes. I always feel awkward at those things though.

Now it’s just a couple more mind-numbing days of nothing to do at the office before I’m off to meet my mother who is coming to Japan for the first time.

My kids were in fine form last week.

At lunch I wondered to the 2-7 classroom. They were going insane dragging each other acoss the room and whatnot. When I was talking outside to some girls from another class, a group of 4 girls come up to me and say “Turn around.” so, of course I don’t. Finally one girl just reaches around and slaps me on the ass. Then they giggle and run away.These girls are like 13-14.
As I am leaving their hallway I hear the pitter patter of feet and turn around just in time to ninja some girl from slapping my ass again. She was being egged on by her friends, but she could not handle my defensive ninja moves so she gave up and retreated. However, as I was walking backwards down the hallway they yelled “go for the chest!” and she comes running at me with her hands poised to grab my boobs but I ninja/tickled her and she finally gave up. WTF!

I’ve arm wrestled at least 5 1nensei in the past week. It really is about the best part of my day.

After school today, I ran into my TBWNIKs. As usual, a hilarious conversation ensued. some choice excerpts:

“By the way, I love you. Do you love me?”

“I want live your house.”

“I don’t speak English. Please teach me. One-on-One.”

I kind of hate that I find then so hilarious, but they really are. On the way home i stopped a couple of them to take a picture. Then the one with the lowest English ability said “I think you are nice teacher.” I think he was joking but it still made me feel really happy.

It’s been a while. I think I’ve gotten used to my life in Japan now, so I don’t feel that same dying urge to write everything down, but I really should.

Anyway, it has gotten cold in Japan. Thus, today’s theme is “Gaman.”

What is Gaman? Put in the clearest terms, Gaman means “suck it up, Bitch.” as far as I can tell.

This can most clearly be seen in school in Japan during the winter. Most schools (at least, all of mine,) have no heat. No heat in the classrooms, no heat in the hallways, no heat in the bathrooms. There is heat in the teacher’s room. We don’t have to gaman apparently (Thank god.)

By no heat I mean that it is fucking cold. Frequently it is colder in the classrooms than it is outside. Also, they keep the windows open for god knows why.

In elementary schools, the students are just cold. They wear coats all day. But the poor Jr. High students have uniforms, the girls in skirts and tights even, so they are just freezing all day.  I haven’t quite discerned the logic in this as they students are frequently so cold that they aren’t really paying attention in class. Maybe years of being cold makes them better people. That must be it.