Aladdin's Princess

Somehow coming back to Japan on Sunday felt...right. The journey was long--it started at 3am on Saturday with a 3 hour drive to the airport and ended on Sunday at 8pm as I stepped into my apartment. Inbetween that drive to the airport and arriving at my apartment were 2 plane flights, a bus ride, a train ride, a taxi drive, and a walk. I think the total time comes to somewhere between 27 and 30 hours. I felt peace as I stepped into my apartment and I'm sure it wasn't only because of my exhaustion. It felt right the next morning taking my usual walk to work, passing the gate to the shrine in my neighborhood as it stood half bathed in the rays of the rising sun, with the old twisted tree growing silently beside it. It felt right today--the day of opening ceremony and first day back for the kids after break--hearing the words "ohayou gozaimasu" ringing through the crisp and freezing morning air and repeating them back. Of course one can't put one's trust or well-being completely in feelings, since they are rather fickle in nature and apt to change several times in a day. But I do think God uses them sometimes and I think in this case it was the Holy Spirit letting me know that it was right-or at least okay-that I signed on for another year, that I can be used here. So we'll see what happens. I must mention one more thing before moving on to Christmas--when I got to work today I noticed that one of the teachers across from me in the teachers' room had a big post-it note type paper pad of unchikun (the Japanese cute poop); I had to hold my breath to keep from laughing. Now for an overview of Christmas. It was wonderful. I got to see all of my family, go to Disney World, eat mom's cooking, and see two old friends. It would be boring to read everything I did, so for your sake, my dear reader, I'll just mention a few things from Disney World. My favorite thing (apart from just spending time with Staci) was meeting Aladdin. I must admit that I was a little ridiculous. We spotted him from a distance and immediately I became all nervous and excited like I was going to meet Johnny Depp or something! So then we got in line (and I must mention that we were the only adults) and got our picture with Jasmine and Aladdin and they were both really nice. Aladdin took my hands, smiled, and called me Princess--twice--and I know it's silly, but really-that made my year. I'm a hopeless romantic; I can't help it.

The Pirates of the Caribbean ride was great, and I had another ridiculous reaction when Captain Jack Sparrow walked past me to his show.

What can I say? Yohoyoho a pirate's life for me.

aaand more of the good

Sorry, it's been about a month since I've posted! I really do mean to post at least a couple times a month, but things get busy. I think it's time for a few more random things about Japan:

-There are no paper towels in the bathrooms. If you want dry hands you have to carry your own personal hand towel.

-It's perfectly acceptable to bike to work wearing your suit. It's also perfectly acceptable to bowl wearing your suit. In fact, I'm quite sure it's perfectly acceptable to do anything in a suit here.

-The police always drive around with their lights flashing. When they want to pull someone over, they talk to them over the loudspeaker.

-They don't use the AC/heater at school. Well they do, but only after the official day they are allowed to, no matter how hot or cold it gets before the official day comes. And even then they use it sparingly. My toes have gone numb from the cold only about 5 times so far though.

-People in my city aren't used to seeing foreigners too often. I'm used to being stared at, so that was nothing new coming here; the older people though can be quite funny. My favorite reaction so far was at a public bathroom. There was a line, and I was coming out of the bathroom stall to wash my hands. The next person in line was an old lady; she hurried to the stall when she saw the door opening but as soon as she saw me she stopped in her tracks and just stared. It was like she wasn't sure what to do; apparently she didn't have to go too bad because she stared until I finished washing my hands.

I've noticed that my trend as of late is to write only about the more negative aspects about my life here. I think it's time to write again on a few more reasons why I like it here.

-I love my apartment. It's small but just perfect for one person, and I'm in love with my bathtub.

-People think I'm weird, but I really love walking. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I walk half an hour one-way to work, and on Wednesdays I walk 45 minutes one-way to work. I love having to rely on my own power to get me where I need to go, and I love that I'm forced to excersize every day. I love having that time between waking up and actually getting to work; it's a good time to re-focus on what's important and soak up Japan. If I drove there's no way I would know that most of the fish in the streams like to swim against the current or have time to appreciate the architecture of the different buildings.

-I love how easy it is to pay my bills--I just bring them to the closest convinience store and pay there.

-I love the kids. There are some really annoying ones but they're all a lot of fun, and even on the crappiest day they make me smile. Pictures!! Are you ready? They're so cute!

i did it

Well, I've done it. I signed the paperwork last week and I'm staying for another year. And every day since that fateful day has made me wish I hadn't. Not that I really have any other options anyway, but still it would make me feel better to know that I could just tell Japan I'm sick of it and leave. It's really not that bad, and I know it'll be at least a little better in a few months when I finally get a car. But a lot of things are getting to me. I'm quite adaptable, but I have to be careful of what I allow myself to adapt to. I refuse to adapt to the way I'm treated here; I will not succumb to "slave-girl syndrome." But being treated like you're lowly, invisible, and not worth as much as everyone else can get you to act that way though. There are some things I just love about Japan and life here, but right now I'm in "get me out of here" mode; which is normal at this stage of the moving process, in my experience anyway. Christmas can't some soon enough-36 days...

I wrote this one day when my class didn't show up...

I love flags. They evoke deep emotions, stir up memories of things sometimes long forgotten, and serve as a comforting reminder of where I’ve been while whispering grand stories about where I still may go. In my English room here in Japan there are flags draped from the ceiling across two walls; I find it very welcoming to be greeted by them every morning. They can be especially consoling when things aren’t going so well—when the homeroom teacher brings the students to class 20 minutes late and has no plan; when my classes are cancelled and nobody tells me; when the homeroom teacher sends her students to my class but doesn’t come herself until 15 minutes after class should have started, even though she knows it’s illegal for me to have class without a Japanese teacher there. In such times I can find solace by merely looking to my left where the Turkish flag hangs, remembering other times when I had no idea what was going on, recalling colorful memories of scarves and markets and music and lamb and exploring ancient ruins. Then I see the Swiss flag, representing a land like a fairytale with wonderful chocolate and cheese and fat cows with golden bells; and the US, with my family and Halloween and thanksgiving and peanut butter and diversity; Germany with bread and gorgeous mountains and Christmas like nowhere else in the world; Greece with ancient beauty and mystery and incredible food; the UK with rugged beauty and some of the dearest people in the world; and finally, directly in front of me as I stand in the middle of the room, are my two most newly discovered countries—Malaysia and Singapore. I can’t help but smile when I look up during class and see those two hanging there almost smiling back at me, bringing memories of wonderful food, great people, and good times:

Unfortunately all my countries aren't represented in the English room; but there are also many flags representing countries I haven't yet discovered, like Thailand, Cambodia, India, and Korea, which seem like silent cheerleaders telling me to do my best and remember that with the next paycheck I'll be one step closer to another new adventure (and one step closer to getting rid of good ole' Sallie Mae).

An update

Life is interesting, isn't it? You just never know what will happen next, where God will take you. I can't believe I'm here--and that's a phrase I've uttered my entire life. It's been 6 months now- what a relief! But next month I'll have to make the big decision. Do I renew my contract for another year-to March 2010-or end it after 1 year and leave March 2009? Huge decision. I'm a little torn. What in the world would I do if I left? Go back to the states and try to get a job even though everyone's downsizing? I just don't see myself in the states so soon. I'm rather in love with the thought of Asia...but, stay in Japan? And how would I go about getting a job in another Asian country? I could live with the Sherpas in Nepal for a few months or a year teaching English in the villages; I could pretty much teach English anywhere, but I'd probably have to go back to school and I just don't want to do that. Part of me would love to leave, and part of me is embarrassed at myself for such a thought. The part of me that seriously ponders it can't seriously imagine packing up right in front of God and saying "okay that's enough, I'm outta here." God is working; I see it, I feel it. And when God works it's never comfortable. I'm here away from pretty much everything and everyone I love. As always, I don't fit in with the other Americans and I stick out like a sore thumb. I pretty much never know what's going on (not exaggerating). It's quite difficult trying to figure things out, especially when something as simple as handing someone a piece of paper can offend. I can no longer do anything simply or familiarly or straightforward. And in a sense, it's great. God is using it all. How better to learn patience than to be thrown into a country where you can't communicate much with words? How better to learn to trust in God than to be in a place where you have no idea what's going on and no person to run to? How better to learn to understand the love of God more and in turn to love God more than to be alone in a world that treats one like a strange step-child? And it's not like everything is difficult. A lot of it is just me--a young halfrican Christian TCK "gypsy" trying to figure things out. I love my kids (most of the time) and the job benefits and the paycheck (much better than what I can get in the states). I love the excitement of being here. I don't have to go very far to discover something new. So while it's frustrating and stressful, it's also exciting and rewarding with a scattering of really peaceful moments. I think I'll probably stay but I'm still praying about it. Who knows what God has planned next.

my little angels

"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."" Luke 10:38-42

After I said goodbye to my little 4 and 5 year olds last week, I grabbed a broom and began sweeping out the classrooms like I always do. There are normally a handful of kids who stay a few hours longer waiting for a parent to get off work, and they normally play in the gym. Well, on this particular day two little girls decided they were going to play in whatever classroom I happened to be trying to clean. They came in giggling, eyes shining, long hair streaming behind them as they ran across the floor and slid right in front of me, scattering my nice little piles of dirt back across the room. They didn't look where they slid, they just looked at me and each other and giggled like it was the best thing ever. I haven't seen them act that way with any of the other teachers. Maybe it's because I'm a foreigner. Or maybe it's because they can see right through me with their pure child-hearts; perhaps they could see that I'm not so different from them, that I still love playing dress-up just like they do, that I sleep with a teddy bear close by and eat dessert before dinner. It was then that I gained a bit more insight into the Martha and Mary story, which I think is full of different lessons. I was Martha that day, busily trying to do what I was "supposed" to be doing, not looking up or around to see or enjoy that which God had put around me. The two little girls were Mary, unconcerned with where they "should" be or what they "should" be doing. They were just enjoying the moment God gave them, and what God made them--girls, feminine, pure-hearted. They haven't yet been corrupted by the world into thinking that to be feminine is to be "too much," "not enough," and hardened, that beauty comes from what you wear and a coating of makeup. They still know God's truths, that to be feminine is good, that they deserve to be delighted in, that beauty shines from the inside out. They soon had me transformed into a Mary as well, pushing them across the room on my broom and giggling along with them. Little girls are good for that.

i've gone mad

Just so yous know, it's official: I've gone mad. Let me explain.

On Tuesday I woke up with a sore throat, and as the day progressed it turned into a huge headache. So most of the day I wasn't able to think straight at all. I left work at my official time (4:55) and walked to a place where I meet a lady from church because she drives me to Japanese class on Tuesdays. I waited for her for a half an hour but she didn't show up, so I just figured something came up and I walked home with my pounding head. Upon arriving in my apartment I glance at my rice cooker. The time on it said 5:00. What?? So I look at my alarm clock. It too said 5:00. At this point I'm so confused and I have no idea what's going on...I just know my head hurts. The only thing that could have happended is that I left work an entire hour early. But it was completely not on purpose--I definitely thought the clock said 4:55, I can still see it in my head. And as I was leaving everyone said goodbye just like they always do; I even walked right past my principal and he said bye like he does every other day. Yesterday I was at my other school and today I have to go back to my main school...I really hope they don't say anthing because all I can tell them is the truth, which sounds like a lie. Sigh. I really have gone mad.