It has been a little bit since I
last wrote but not a lot has changed except for my attitude. My first week and
a half was almost as if I was in a dream or just on vacation. I met a lot of
people and saw a lot of places, but never really felt like I was settling down.
Now, a few days into school, I feel like I am finally finding my place.
Two days ago I had an
introduction to the school. That involved meeting with a small board of
teachers to come to conclusions about certain things regarding my education and
to go over the rules. I also received a tour of the school by three of my
classmates.
My schooling here is a little
awkward. Having graduated from high school, I am already on the edge for
participating in Rotary International’s youth exchange. One the rules at my
school (Nagano Prefectural (Public) High School) is that exchange students may
not have classes with third years. This is because they are all studying and
preparing for taking university entrance exams. Oh yeah, I suppose this would
be a good time to mention that high schools in Japan only have three grades: 1st
years (10th grade), 2nd years (11th grade),
and 3rd years (12th grade). The school year also starts
in April and ends in March. This means that because I am starting in the second
trimester, the only way to prevent me having a 3rd year class is by
enrolling me as a 1st year. I will then move up to be a 2nd
year in the spring. Back to the awkward part. I didn’t realize this when I was
chosen to go to Japan (not that it would have changed my mind), but I am now
working on retaking 10th grade. That means classes with 10th
graders (ages 15 and 16). Please take this moment to reminisce on your 10th
grade and realize just how chaotic and crazy it probably was.
It’s not a big deal that everyone
is younger than I am. It does help, though, because it means that they actually
have time to talk with me and not study all the time.
In the words of fellow RYE
student Logan Regnier, it was my second last first day of high school.
That first day was quite an
experience. Luckily, I spent quite a bit of time in the CALL (Communication and
Language Learning) office which is where the English teachers have their
offices. There are two native English speakers. One is from the US (Upstate New
York) and the other is from Australia. There are also 3 or 4 English teachers
that are Japanese but whose English is absolutely incredible. They have helped
me figure a ton out that I otherwise would have been completely stuck on.
That first day there was an
assembly for the whole school in the gymnasium. There were awards presented to
various club leaders and the school counselor said a few words. Then I had the
absolutely wonderful opportunity to speak in front of all 1,000 students. It
should be noted that the last line should be read in the most sarcastic voice
your brain can produce.
Having already experienced being
the new kid in school when I moved to Northfield, MN, from Poynette, WI, I
figured this wouldn’t be that much different. That said, it would have been 10X
easier had I been able to understand a single bit of the lesson. Japanese
history is complex and complicated, but it’s even more-so when it’s in a
language you don’t understand. Thankfully my classmates all agreed that it’s
not a fun subject. After school I had decided that I would look into joining a
club. A couple of my classmates are in Kendo (blunt sword fighting) and it
sounded interesting to me. I talked to them and one, Ron, turned out to have
been born in Japan, raised in Australia, and then moved back to Japan for high
school.
That first two weeks of school
are only half days because the weather is so awfully hot. This means that club
activity schedules are all screwed up and they all start at different times
after school. As I waited, several of my classmates sat around and talked to
me. They were very anxious to see a picture of Annika (my girlfriend) and, upon
seeing the picture I produced from my wallet, all the girls screamed かわい (cute!). I’m sure they are very jealous of her red hair
and blue eyes, as many of them would love to dye their hair a lighter shade and
several wear colored contacts.
Watching Kendo was a very
interesting experience. The uniforms are modeled after those of the samurai, with
very wide pants and half-length sleeves. The premise behind Kendo is that you
bludgeon your opponent with a dull sword. The armor that the participants wear
is very hard and solid. It would take a lot of force to hurt someone through
it. The face-mask is metal bars that are each about a centimeter apart. Combat
involves whacking the opponent as hard as one can on their head or on their
oblique muscles and stabbing under their chin. It is incredibly scary to watch
and I imagine to participate in. The sound that is produced from sparring is
incredible because both opponents are screaming and there is the thwacking of
the bamboo swords on armor.
When I returned to the Tani
family store after school, I found out I would be going to Aikidou with Mama
Akane, Mitsuki, and Nanako. It was fun and I learned some defense. It also
turned out that it was the same Dojyou that Kiana Asada (RYE 2012-2013 from
Northfield, MN, to Kawachinagano) attended during her exchange. It was fun to
meet her senseis and they invited me to join. I will be attending classes with
a group of adults that are all the highest level in Aikidou, so I should be
well taught.
Japan is incredible. I reached a
new happiness today and I feel very welcomed by the student population of
Nagano High School. When I walk past anyone student they say “Hi” in English.
They are very accommodating to my limited Japanese and are patient with me as I
figure out what to say. I have already met quite a few people that I feel I
will make strong relationships with.
The weather has been cooler these
last couple days (25 degrees celcius) and the Tani family all say that fall is
on it’s way. I am excited to see the colors of the trees!
Here are some pics from school.
Pictures made from tons of toothpicks stabbed into styrofoam.
The girls take pictures all day on their phones and every single one looks like this.
The guys. I think I've found the right crowd.
またね
Wes
No comments:
Post a Comment