Welcome to Kurokami Sunrise

Although it’s nowhere near being finished, I thought I’d give a little tour of my apartment here in Kumamoto. It’s not the biggest, but definitely more than enough space for just me, or any guests who want to visit *hint hint*.

I’m currently trying to put my own stamp on it, which is something that will take time, mainly due to people stopping me from buying “unnecessary” Hello Kitty items to fill the place up. I know I’ve started to hit adulthood though, since I now enjoy homeware stores a little too much, and my most exciting purchases lately were a blender and a kettle.

I have two tatami rooms, which I have a definite love/hate relationship with. The tatami is super comfortable to sit on, looks cute and I’m actually fond of the strange smell it has. However, I’m forever paranoid about spilling even the slightest bit of water, god forbid anything else, and it’s a nightmare wanting to move furniture without ripping it.

I’m still not used to the fact I have no dividing walls, just sliding doors I have to be more delicate with. That’s not to say I’m still not as heavy handed as I used to be, I pulled my shower off of the wall and hulked the door handle off all in the space of 5 minutes. All is well now, but next time I’m blaming it on an earthquake.

It’s lovely though now its cooler, and I can open all my windows and balcony doors and get a lovely breeze through my entire apartment. My balcony has a nice view of my neighbourhood and the river, while I love to nose at the main road when I’m cooking. That’s definitely going to be the scene from a zombie movie one day though; something about the konbini (convenience store) being the only light source on the road and my neighbourhood being so eerily quiet lends itself to the plotline quite nicely.

I live a little further from downtown than others, but not too far from Kumamoto University. Hopefully now their year is starting again, I’ll be able to befriend some cute students at the kobini to make up for it. There’s a little old lady in my neighbourhood, whose name I’m yet to learn, who shouts good morning at me from down the road most days too.

I’ve only met two of my neighbours, as they’re either too shy or home very late from work, but both were lovely. Even though I haven’t seen life in my building since, I don’t actually mind how silent my neighbourhood is at night.

It’s got a long way to go while I clear out all the stuff left from previous ALT’s, since I aim to stay here a little while. I said in the beginning, “I want it to look like a unicorn has thrown up in here”. Who knows, when I’m done it could be like a wacky warehouse of plush toys… they are my weakness.

Enkais- The ins and outs of Japanese work parties

I’ve been to two enkais now, one for my junior high where I spend most of my days, and one for an elementary where I’d spent only one day prior to the enkai. This should have been a precursor to what I was getting myself into in terms of their desire to use me as an excuse for a party, but they were both very different experiences.

There’s some enkai etiquette that first needs to be mastered:

• NEVER let anyone pour their own drinks, and never pour your own.

• When clinking glasses, always clink lower than your superiors

• Never take a sip before the “kanpai” (cheers)

• If you’re a girl, don’t sit cross-legged

With all these in mind, I headed to my first enkai with my junior high school. It was at an Italian restaurant, and I spent the evening with my five fellow JTE’s (Japanese Teachers of English), with a very informal conversation and environment. I could tell that it was really helping them get to know me better, we shared a lot of laughs, and now in school I have much more banter in the staff room. Just this morning, I got a playful slap from a teacher for taking the piss out of the shrine on her desk of a Japanese actor 20 years her junior.

One of the JTE’s is newly qualified and is the closest teacher I have to my age at any of my schools. We’re bonding too, with her sending me cute LINE stickers asking about my weekend, bitching about her boyfriend and only afterwards discussing lessons plans with me for the following week. I guess you could call her my first friend in the workplace.

My second enkai couldn’t have been more different. At this elementary school, barely any of the teachers speak English. It was held at a super fancy Chinese restaurant, providing free-flowing beer pitchers and lots of tapas like dishes. This was much more formal, as I was told to sit next to the vice-principal and await the principal’s arrival. Many speeches given at various interludes and I also had to give a little speech myself.

My night was spent trying to decipher slurred Japanese, mainly from my tantosha (supervisor), who told me in small terms he loved me, couldn’t wait to work with me, and proceeded to try to set me up on a date with one of the other young teachers. My principal is also super enthusiastic for me to practice calligraphy with her during my free periods as we did it last time I was there.

All in all, while enkai’s can get pretty expensive, and I barely had time to eat my food since so many people wanted a conversation with me, I got to experience two very different ones. Hopefully the enkais in the future, will be just as, if not more, entertaining.

Okinawa - A much needed tropical break

This past week, I went to Okinawa for 5 days with Sheridan, Clare, Ellen and Devin; fellow ALT’s in Kumamoto. It was honestly so needed, since I’d had a pretty crap week prior to going. I was getting super irritated at having no proper schedule, since I’m in a different school almost every day. That, combined with living alone, made me feel my life consisted of school, cooking dinner, doing chores, lesson planning for the next day, and being asleep by 10pm, day in and day out. I knew I needed a holiday when the fact I’d done laundry on Sunday, but it was stuck outside in torrential rain for 4 days and I couldn’t bring it inside because I have bamboo floors, pushed me over the edge.

Yet another typhoon was on its way, so we were praying our flight wouldn’t be cancelled. Thankfully it wasn’t, and even during our time there it barely felt like a huge typhoon was in the area. Kouri Island was beautiful, where we discovered a small café amongst the sugar cane fields. Miyagi Island was also another highlight, and I LOVED Makishi Public Market. We stayed in Naha, and the only way I can compare it to somewhere is that it is Japanese Miami. Parts of Chatan, with so many Americans everywhere, honestly made you forget you were in Japan at all.

I’ve been converted to loving vegan foods, something I thought I’d never say. I always overlooked those restaurants in the past, but we practically lived in them during our time in Okinawa. The food there was fabulous on a whole, and I ate at the best Mexican restaurant I’ve ever been to in my life. Go figure that’d be in Japan.

I’m also practically famous now too; after meeting some random Japanese guy, he introduced us to one of his friends who raps. Turns out he’s actually quite good and won some freestyle rap competition that was on Japanese TV, and even has a music video to speak of. Fast forward to him posting a photo on Instagram with me and 700 likes later, I’m now getting followed by all sorts of Japanese rap fans. Let’s just hope they don’t actually think I have any talent, it’s only drunk Caitlin who thinks she could challenge Nicki Minaj if the opportunity ever arose.

I wouldn’t say I’ve been fully rejuvenated after the trip to Okinawa, but it was a welcome break from work for a little while. Don’t get me wrong, I love the kids, but I could feel myself losing enthusiasm by the second. I’ll definitely be heading back to Okinawa at some point, hopefully going to some of the other more secluded islands closer to Taiwan. Now, back to the grind that is prepping for the speech contest my students have in a few weeks. Wish me luck and pray the children don’t develop Scouse accents!

A week of firsts: salon edition.

I’m going to go all girly for once, since I thought it was necessary to describe two firsts that were inevitable since I’m living in Japan now.

Haircut: Last weekend I spontaneously decided to bite the bullet and get my first haircut in Japan. It’s proven to be difficult to find a salon that is able to deal with non-Asian hair, but mine is nothing too difficult. I ventured into a quieter area of downtown Kumamoto and stumbled across the salon, which I’d recommend to anyone.

Although English wasn’t really spoken, I got my point across with pictures and limited Japanese, all helped by the friendliness of the staff there. It was hands down not only the best experience I’ve had, but also the most precise. The poor girl doing my hair was on her tiptoes and kneeling because my hair is so long, but nevertheless, she spent forever going over it to perfect it. I’ve never had anyone use 3 different types of scissors on me, and I have no idea what they did, but my hair feels fabulous! She also did magical things with a curling wand I’d never seen before in my life, and I’m actually contemplating getting a perm over here. I’ll keep you updated if it goes wrong from the mermaid waves I envision and I end up looking like a poodle.

Nail Salon: I’ve wanted Japanese gel nails for the LONGEST time, and for some reason never bothered to get any done when I was in Japan the last time. They’ve got a distinctive look to them, basically very “kawaii”, but I am totally in love.

On my last day in Okinawa (a trip I’ll describe in another post), I decided to have some ‘treat yo’self’ time and get them done. After some major Instagram stalking, I found Litomo Nail Salon and gave them a call. The girl I spoke to was lovely, and once I arrived she told me how she can’t speak English, but is learning from Coldplay songs. The girl is going to sound so poetic I’m actually a little bit jealous. But anyway, we went for a ‘teacher appropriate’ style, and off she went.
I was there for two hours, being treated to a massage both before and after. I was also given a little pot of Earl Grey to enjoy while I was dozing off. My nails even have real flowers on them now, which the girl meticulously picked out from a pot of water, dried and selected each petal individually.

The salon itself was adorable, hidden away on the top floor of a building, with random stuffed polar bears dotted around the place. I’d definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Naha as it’s easily accessible, Ayame is the sweetest and by how nail salons go, it was pretty damn cheap.

Visit litomo.jindo.com or check out their Instagram: litomo.nail. You can even see the super adorable post Ayame wrote after I left. The translation is hilarious, but you get the jist of it.

Now it’s time for me to find somewhere in Kumamoto to enjoy too, and I have no shame in admitting when I’m not in schools, I will be having themed nails because when in Japan, anything goes. I say that while sitting here at school wearing pink Rilakkuma crocs (that I’m not admitting how comfortable they actually are) and clashing pink Hello Kitty socks with pineapples from Okinawa. They really set off my cankles.

My first month in Japan!

This past month has been equally the slowest and fasted month of my life. Living in Japan is proving to be very different to just visiting, and I’m glad that now the school semester has started, I finally have some sort of routine in my life.

ALT Life:

I am currently teaching in six schools, quite a lot by ALT standards. I spend most of my time at my junior high school (ages 12-15), and split the rest of the time between my five elementary schools (ages 6-12).  They’re all so different in their own ways, and I’ve had my first day at all but one now. The opening ceremony I attended on the first day of the semester was interesting, with a very regimental assembly, and me having to give my dreaded introductory speech to a bunch of elementary students staring at me with wonder. A few of my schools have wanted me to introduce myself over the school radio at lunch times too.

I eat kyuushoku (school lunch) with my students every day, which provides the most hilarious conversation topics; mostly if I have a boyfriend, to which the children freak out when I tell them I have five. Kyuushoku is greatly different to how it is in the UK, as the meals are eaten in the classrooms, and food is served by selected students in that class who don an apron, mask and serve their classmates. Only when everyone has been served and seated, do the children shout “itadakimasu” and begin tucking in.  
 There’s a definite art to kyuushoku which I’m still yet to master. Eating a whole meal in 10 minutes whilst answering constant questions, drinking luke-warm milk, and sitting on a chair that leaves my knees by my chin are proving difficult. However, there’s something rather humbling about how the children are so polite, cleaning the classroom afterwards and always offering to take away my tray no matter how much I insist. 

In every school I’ve been to the staff couldn’t be more welcoming. Even simple gestures like having my personalised name tag on my shoe locker, or gifting me some Hello Kitty souvenirs. The English speaking teachers seem to be very excited at the fact they have a Brit for once, rather than the constant stream of Americans they’ve had in Kumamoto for a while. The non-English speaking teachers try their hardest and are always patient with me, which I’m forever grateful for. Note: if you can speak a little Japanese, no matter how many times you tell them, they will always assume you are fluent so you have to roll with it anyway!

I’ve also had a few principals observe my lessons, with one telling me he was surprised by my age because he thought I had teaching experience. Whether it’s because I don’t mind being a tit in class, or because I have the same mental age as the children and can relate, it’s really encouraging that I might not be the best, but they appreciate I’m trying and seem to be doing an okay job so far.

In terms of students, I will admit I’m starting to get favourites in different classes. Nothing cuter than a 5^th grader who can’t speak a word of English, but god the enthusiasm is there, and who now does the Usain Bolt move with me every time we meet because he told me he wants to be an Olympic sprinter. I’ve also found other girls who like the same K-pop groups as me, which results in a lot of squealing and promises for us to have regular chats about them.

Travelling:

I’ve managed to make it to a few sights here despite the fact I’ve been working since I arrived. On Mountain Day, a public holiday, I visited Suizenji Garden which is beautiful, and saw the miniature Mount Fuji replica they have there as a token gesture for the day. One day after work, I made a fleeting visit to Kurokawa onsen, the most famous hot spring village in the prefecture.
Despite the hell-ish journey, a thunderstorm in the mountains, and thinking we’d be stuck overnight, bathing in the pools watching the storm was such a relaxing experience, and I got to visit not only my first onsen, but my first mixed onsen too. That’s definitely a rite of passage in Japan, you’ll always be a different friendship level with someone once you’ve gotten naked and hopped in an onsen with them. Old ladies have no shame either, most engaged me in conversation butt naked without any attempt to wait until I was dressed.  

I’ve done a few day trips to Fukuoka too, with one seeing Haruka before she goes back to England to study her masters. The struggle of a long-distance best friend relationship is real! I’ve also got trips planned to both Okinawa, the southern island prefecture next week, and back to my favourite city, Seoul, over Halloween. In the meantime, I’ll hopefully get a change to explore Kyushu more on my weekends away from rowdy children.

 Admittedly, I do feel like a zoo animal at times, both in schools and out. I’m always hyper-aware of the whispering that follows me, being told I’m kawaii (cute) every day by 12 year olds, pubescent boys being pubescent boys...  My skin and eyes are the biggest thing to the kids, with some not understanding what freckles are and asking if I’m sick, and poking my eyes because they’ve never seen blue ones before.  One of my favourite past times is knowing someone is talking about me in Japanese, only for me to tell them in Japanese I understand what they’re saying.

Being a gaijin (foreigner) in Kumamoto especially, can be a little difficult at times, as there really aren’t many of us around. However, once in a blue moon I’ll have a little old lady chat to me at the bus stop, and even though I don’t have a clue what they’re saying half the time, they wish me luck and always ask how I’m coping with everything, especially the earthquakes.
Although I’ve gotten used to the almost daily baby-quake we experience here, most are barely noticeable. However, last week was a real wake-up call when Kumamoto had two 4.7 earthquakes within 12 hours. I heard that if it hadn’t been for the magnitude 7 quakes that hit in April, those would have been considered big. It was horrible being alone, not knowing how much longer it would last/if it would get any bigger, and just generally freaking out when things were falling down in my apartment.  I got woken up at 2am this morning by another one, still nowhere near the size of the ones in April, but it still isn’t the most comfortable experience.
Its times like that I wish I had the nonchalant attitude of the Japanese who get on with their lives without a minor heart attack like I do. Despite the impending doom of natural disasters threating Japan on a daily basis, the amount of people who I barely know checking in on me at least makes me feel loved.

So all in all, I may still have no clue what I’m doing, and I’ve spoken about myself more times than I can explain, but I’m loving my new life here and can’t wait to get involved with more things. If nothing else, I’ve taught the children that it’s not pronounced banana, its banaaaarna.