FA+
Shop
In more pleasant news,
Posted 14 years agoI was able to go to a blood drive a few Tuesdays ago (the first Tuesday after that disaster in and around Tohoku) and got the results back from the tests they ran: my liver enzymes apparently are still higher than average, but in an acceptable range so they were able to use the blood I donated. That makes me feel better... of course about my own health, but also for whomever it was able to benefit.
The Japanese Red Cross is more strict in some ways, including about how much -- 400 ml as opposed to the 473 ml that make up a pint -- and how often one is allowed to donate, especially with the full/red blood cell donation. According to my card I won't be able to go again until summer, even. At least until then, though, I'll continue to abstain from sake. I mean sake 酒 in the Japanese sense: meaning all alcohol in general and not just Nihon-shu 日本酒。 When the cherry blossoms come, I'm really going to miss ume-shu 梅酒、the plum wine. Overall, quitting cold turkey was -- reassuringly! -- not as difficult as I wondered at first.
All that aside, I was also able to attend some graduation ceremonies. (School years in Asia begin and end in the early spring.) Made me a proud -- former and present, depending on where I was -- instructor ^_^ They're good in Japan about making these ceremonies both formal and touching, and everyone is so lovely dressed!
The most recent news is this nice new icon you all have seen by now,
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5478439/
thanks to, how should I call him, The Known Kadath. Those of you who haven't been: do check out the comic series he's been doing lately. It's cute and it's free!
--:=)
The Japanese Red Cross is more strict in some ways, including about how much -- 400 ml as opposed to the 473 ml that make up a pint -- and how often one is allowed to donate, especially with the full/red blood cell donation. According to my card I won't be able to go again until summer, even. At least until then, though, I'll continue to abstain from sake. I mean sake 酒 in the Japanese sense: meaning all alcohol in general and not just Nihon-shu 日本酒。 When the cherry blossoms come, I'm really going to miss ume-shu 梅酒、the plum wine. Overall, quitting cold turkey was -- reassuringly! -- not as difficult as I wondered at first.
All that aside, I was also able to attend some graduation ceremonies. (School years in Asia begin and end in the early spring.) Made me a proud -- former and present, depending on where I was -- instructor ^_^ They're good in Japan about making these ceremonies both formal and touching, and everyone is so lovely dressed!
The most recent news is this nice new icon you all have seen by now,
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5478439/
thanks to, how should I call him, The Known Kadath. Those of you who haven't been: do check out the comic series he's been doing lately. It's cute and it's free!
--:=)
jishin 地震 and jishin 自信 : earthquakes and confidence
Posted 14 years agoAs I've said to family and friends on FA and off FA: thank you for your concern in light of what's befallen Japan. My home happens to be in a region far southwest of the places hardest hit, but in this fault-straddling, string of dead and live volcanoes of an island country, anywhere is at risk.
An extra thank you also to those who have written and mentioned donating blood. I'll be doing the same -- heh, I actually went to a drive on Monday the 7th. Turned out one of the needles went in wrong and made withdrawl impossible or unsafe for at least another week. Originally I was going to try again this coming Saturday, but the bruise is already gone and I'll pay a visit this Tuesday instead.
To those who would like to donate but cannot, no snub intended against you whatsoever -- I might be in the same boat. Right now, I just have to pray that my liver is in good enough shape (as of now, unlike last November) so the Japanese Red Cross can use my O+ blood this time. (If it's not, well, I just need to eat more raw veggies and go teetotaling for much longer. Just that by then, it'll be far too late for the current emergency.)
Going back to geography for a moment: Otsu sits next to Japan's largest lake, which is small by US or Russian standards but big enough to make tsunami if the placement were just right. My apartment's up a hill... but hell, I'm more likely to do my shopping close to or along the lakeshore. Always knew the possibility of tsunami off Biwa-ko was there since before I moved out of the deeper mountains, but news of the last few days just brings a reminder of that closer to home.
Adding a bit of recent but actual history to the mix: Otsu is next to the city of Kyoto, which is almost next to the city of Osaka, which is almost next to Kobe. Kobe was the city hit hardest by the Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Before that time, the fault line it sat by was assumed to be one of the safe ones.
The professor who made my current job possible is a native of Kobe. When the quake hit, he was right there clearing rubble and helping people out, but didn't bother getting in touch with the administration. His colleagues and students were simultaneously relieved and angry to hear from him later, since (in those days with fewer mobile phones) they had assumed him to be lost or dead for days.
In 1995, Japan was still seen as more of a symbol of the future, but was also an object of considerable envy. Some of the press coverage around the world at that time was in pretty bad taste. "Oh, look, they're really just a third world country with a first world veneer." "Remember what we all thought about the future in the 70s? Japan is Brazil all over again!" There was a kernal of truth to that, though: locally, there's a dark little observational joke that right after the Hanshin quake, the only organized help around was Jehovah's Witnesses and the yakuza. (Odd pairing, that, but I guess that's part of the joke.)
Anyway, as long as criticisms against the government are not laid on the people themselves... well, you folks in or from the US probably know what I'm saying here. The press has problems all over the world, and if anything I think that 2000s US media has become more and more like 1880s US or contempory UK, tabloid-driven media. But with this issue at least, I hope there'll be a little more restraint this time than there was with the nasty envy in 1995.
More immediately important, and tied in with the second jishin in this title, I hope the efforts are (and are going to be) a little more smooth this time. The DPJ-led government has been minor-scandal-ridden lately, but I hope it hasn't been caught as flat-footed as the LDP government of the earlier Heisei era. Will have to pay close attention to how the recovery efforts go, since this'll be relevant to everyone who is living in Japan.
On a cultural note, there is rivalry between the Kansai region (the center-west) and people in the more eastern parts of Japan -- I've adopted some of that m'self, with tongue in cheek, and am fond of calling it Kinki Pride. All that silliness aside, a friend of mine, native to a mountain village close-by and himself very much a Kansaijin, sent me a long and unusually sweet chain letter over the phone. It'd take me a while to translate it line-by-line, but the chain was started to be a show of support and encouragement from the people of Kansai to the people of Kanto and Tohoku.
One thing I love about Japanese culture -- though it might be one of those slowly changing things, a subject for a different journal -- is that the line between "earnest" and "corny" is drawn differently and a lot less strictly than it is in the US or UK. Chain letter or no, the sentiment it expressed touched me and mirrored my own feelings toward eastern Japan right now. Folks could mock it from any which angle, but the feeling of ファイト！ (f'aito! fight!) should be taken in its original spirit, I think.
That seems like a good note to end this journal on. Thank you to all those who care, and especially those who are angry at me but still care ^_^;
An extra thank you also to those who have written and mentioned donating blood. I'll be doing the same -- heh, I actually went to a drive on Monday the 7th. Turned out one of the needles went in wrong and made withdrawl impossible or unsafe for at least another week. Originally I was going to try again this coming Saturday, but the bruise is already gone and I'll pay a visit this Tuesday instead.
To those who would like to donate but cannot, no snub intended against you whatsoever -- I might be in the same boat. Right now, I just have to pray that my liver is in good enough shape (as of now, unlike last November) so the Japanese Red Cross can use my O+ blood this time. (If it's not, well, I just need to eat more raw veggies and go teetotaling for much longer. Just that by then, it'll be far too late for the current emergency.)
Going back to geography for a moment: Otsu sits next to Japan's largest lake, which is small by US or Russian standards but big enough to make tsunami if the placement were just right. My apartment's up a hill... but hell, I'm more likely to do my shopping close to or along the lakeshore. Always knew the possibility of tsunami off Biwa-ko was there since before I moved out of the deeper mountains, but news of the last few days just brings a reminder of that closer to home.
Adding a bit of recent but actual history to the mix: Otsu is next to the city of Kyoto, which is almost next to the city of Osaka, which is almost next to Kobe. Kobe was the city hit hardest by the Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Before that time, the fault line it sat by was assumed to be one of the safe ones.
The professor who made my current job possible is a native of Kobe. When the quake hit, he was right there clearing rubble and helping people out, but didn't bother getting in touch with the administration. His colleagues and students were simultaneously relieved and angry to hear from him later, since (in those days with fewer mobile phones) they had assumed him to be lost or dead for days.
In 1995, Japan was still seen as more of a symbol of the future, but was also an object of considerable envy. Some of the press coverage around the world at that time was in pretty bad taste. "Oh, look, they're really just a third world country with a first world veneer." "Remember what we all thought about the future in the 70s? Japan is Brazil all over again!" There was a kernal of truth to that, though: locally, there's a dark little observational joke that right after the Hanshin quake, the only organized help around was Jehovah's Witnesses and the yakuza. (Odd pairing, that, but I guess that's part of the joke.)
Anyway, as long as criticisms against the government are not laid on the people themselves... well, you folks in or from the US probably know what I'm saying here. The press has problems all over the world, and if anything I think that 2000s US media has become more and more like 1880s US or contempory UK, tabloid-driven media. But with this issue at least, I hope there'll be a little more restraint this time than there was with the nasty envy in 1995.
More immediately important, and tied in with the second jishin in this title, I hope the efforts are (and are going to be) a little more smooth this time. The DPJ-led government has been minor-scandal-ridden lately, but I hope it hasn't been caught as flat-footed as the LDP government of the earlier Heisei era. Will have to pay close attention to how the recovery efforts go, since this'll be relevant to everyone who is living in Japan.
On a cultural note, there is rivalry between the Kansai region (the center-west) and people in the more eastern parts of Japan -- I've adopted some of that m'self, with tongue in cheek, and am fond of calling it Kinki Pride. All that silliness aside, a friend of mine, native to a mountain village close-by and himself very much a Kansaijin, sent me a long and unusually sweet chain letter over the phone. It'd take me a while to translate it line-by-line, but the chain was started to be a show of support and encouragement from the people of Kansai to the people of Kanto and Tohoku.
One thing I love about Japanese culture -- though it might be one of those slowly changing things, a subject for a different journal -- is that the line between "earnest" and "corny" is drawn differently and a lot less strictly than it is in the US or UK. Chain letter or no, the sentiment it expressed touched me and mirrored my own feelings toward eastern Japan right now. Folks could mock it from any which angle, but the feeling of ファイト！ (f'aito! fight!) should be taken in its original spirit, I think.
That seems like a good note to end this journal on. Thank you to all those who care, and especially those who are angry at me but still care ^_^;
From Heisei 22 to 23
Posted 15 years agoHappy Boxing Day, everyone. (And no, nothing to do with Ashita no Joe, Hajime no Ippo, or RL boxers.)
I'm pleased to be spending the holidays with family and just being in America for the first time in two years ^_^ It's been a great time and I'll be sad when it's over, but at least I'll be going back to continue my new life within Japan. (And I still haven't written much about that, have I? Well, work was kinda busy...)
Before going back to Japan, though: in another leg of my journey, I'll be visiting family on the West Coast. As chance would have it, I'll be able to attend some of Further Confusion! The last two days of it, at least... and that, only because of the kindness and help of
krahnos I probably would have missed it completely, otherwise. This will be my first convention at all since Anthrocon 1999 in Valley Forge.
I'll try to make it there on Saturday evening... at any rate, I know I'll be seeing some of you who are watchin me, and missing others. Please drop a journal reply or a PM (preferably a PM with your deepest, darkest secrets! not that I would know anything about that) so that I know to look for you!
For those of you wondering what the subject line means: this coming New Year's, it will be (and as of 2012, "will have been", I guess) the 23rd year that Akihito has been the Emperor of Japan. For example, when I go back, all the train tickets will have "23" printed on them --:=)
I'm pleased to be spending the holidays with family and just being in America for the first time in two years ^_^ It's been a great time and I'll be sad when it's over, but at least I'll be going back to continue my new life within Japan. (And I still haven't written much about that, have I? Well, work was kinda busy...)
Before going back to Japan, though: in another leg of my journey, I'll be visiting family on the West Coast. As chance would have it, I'll be able to attend some of Further Confusion! The last two days of it, at least... and that, only because of the kindness and help of
krahnos I probably would have missed it completely, otherwise. This will be my first convention at all since Anthrocon 1999 in Valley Forge.I'll try to make it there on Saturday evening... at any rate, I know I'll be seeing some of you who are watchin me, and missing others. Please drop a journal reply or a PM (preferably a PM with your deepest, darkest secrets! not that I would know anything about that) so that I know to look for you!
For those of you wondering what the subject line means: this coming New Year's, it will be (and as of 2012, "will have been", I guess) the 23rd year that Akihito has been the Emperor of Japan. For example, when I go back, all the train tickets will have "23" printed on them --:=)
Back, this November...
Posted 15 years agoHad various (mostly minor, but annoying) troubles with moving the last two months, and I had some more trouble with the phone company this month. On a much nicer note, though, if all goes well, I'll finally have internet access at home again on October 30th! (It could be the 29th for most of you -- I'll probably be away during Halloween itself, though.)
I've been working on some stories off and on, and there is one big one in particular I'm aiming to finish up by the end of November. Before I worry too much about that, though: I hope to be in regular touch with many of you, more often ^_^
Might not request any more commissions for the rest of the year, though, I'm sad to say. I'm also sad to say I hurt my back a while ago, during the move; but my back has felt better recently, and I'm really glad for that. Bit by bit, my new place is looking more like a home and less like a storage facility!
I've been working on some stories off and on, and there is one big one in particular I'm aiming to finish up by the end of November. Before I worry too much about that, though: I hope to be in regular touch with many of you, more often ^_^
Might not request any more commissions for the rest of the year, though, I'm sad to say. I'm also sad to say I hurt my back a while ago, during the move; but my back has felt better recently, and I'm really glad for that. Bit by bit, my new place is looking more like a home and less like a storage facility!
Away, this August...
Posted 15 years agoFor the next month and week from now (in other words, until mid-September or so), I will not have internet access of my own. I'll check in on FA from time to time through net cafes and maybe some friends' places, but for now I'm afraid I will be slow with e-mail and probably won't be around for chat.
I'm doing OK, though, everyone, so please don't worry about me! I'm really looking forward to moving into a sweet new apartment early this fall ^_^ I'll update this journal when I finally have everything set up again.
Hugs and kisses to some (you each know who you are!) and waves to everyone else kind enough to watch!
-- Laocorn
I'm doing OK, though, everyone, so please don't worry about me! I'm really looking forward to moving into a sweet new apartment early this fall ^_^ I'll update this journal when I finally have everything set up again.
Hugs and kisses to some (you each know who you are!) and waves to everyone else kind enough to watch!
-- Laocorn
Must've been ten months this time!
Posted 18 years agoHi, everyone... I am indeed back. I'm afraid I had to nuke everything after having been gone from FA for so long, so any catching up I'll be doing with yunz ("you ones") will be probably be one at a time.
My number of classes has gone up, so I'll likily be slow, but I still hope to be around this time. Hope everyone's okej at least!
-- Laocorn
P.S., I did help harvest rice again this year
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/38940/
but I -did- have the sense to wear long sleeves this time --:=P
just a little test:
The Brave and the Bold
this month, starring Green Arrow
and his Politics
[edit: Ah... seems to work! Looks a little on the carnival-esque side, but that's kinda what I was going for anyway. Stan Lee would approve... or perhaps he would if Green Arrow weren't a DC hero.]
My number of classes has gone up, so I'll likily be slow, but I still hope to be around this time. Hope everyone's okej at least!
-- Laocorn
P.S., I did help harvest rice again this year
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/38940/
but I -did- have the sense to wear long sleeves this time --:=P
just a little test:
The Brave and the Bold
this month, starring Green Arrow
and his Politics
[edit: Ah... seems to work! Looks a little on the carnival-esque side, but that's kinda what I was going for anyway. Stan Lee would approve... or perhaps he would if Green Arrow weren't a DC hero.]
Back at FA, ni ka getsu buri (after 2 months)
Posted 19 years agominna, hisashi buri na...
(Everyone, it's been a while, ha'n't it...)
Today was a national holiday in Japan, "Culture Day"! Although I enjoy my job in general, this morning had one of those few, welcome moments where I wake up thinking I have to go to work, before remembering it's a day off. I forget how he phrased it, but C.S. Lewis described this feeling at one point in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe...
Today was also a beautiful fall day... while the sun was still out. Normally I'd be walking and exploring outside on a day like this, but... somehow, I hurt my back. 'Probably happened yesterday while rearranging piles of papers, chairs and desks in my classroom. Normally I'm really mindful of lifting with my knees and all that, but must've gotten careless at some point. Didn't even notice until waking up this morning, either --:=/
Since my backlog of unread stuff at FA had already exceeded 500, today represented a good excuse to go through it. Was tempted to fave a lot more pictures than I did, but, well... Ended up being a Subculture Day for me today at any rate --:=)
Shane Nelson
ssninc ssn_inc
has been really busy these past few weeks, but has still managed to produce a lot of beautiful work, so please go check that out. Similar story for Fen,
fen4554
who's been having a real rough semester. But, take a look at his page, too!
While things are still a little busier-than-usual at my end at work, the pace has slowed down a bit. I'll need to hit the books for a rather hard Japanese-language correspondence course I'm taking... but when I have free time and creative energy left, I hope to be working on a few writing projects, which I hope to post to FA and other parts of the net before too long. I would say "Watch This Space," but if you are reading this, you most likily already are --:=)
(Everyone, it's been a while, ha'n't it...)
Today was a national holiday in Japan, "Culture Day"! Although I enjoy my job in general, this morning had one of those few, welcome moments where I wake up thinking I have to go to work, before remembering it's a day off. I forget how he phrased it, but C.S. Lewis described this feeling at one point in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe...
Today was also a beautiful fall day... while the sun was still out. Normally I'd be walking and exploring outside on a day like this, but... somehow, I hurt my back. 'Probably happened yesterday while rearranging piles of papers, chairs and desks in my classroom. Normally I'm really mindful of lifting with my knees and all that, but must've gotten careless at some point. Didn't even notice until waking up this morning, either --:=/
Since my backlog of unread stuff at FA had already exceeded 500, today represented a good excuse to go through it. Was tempted to fave a lot more pictures than I did, but, well... Ended up being a Subculture Day for me today at any rate --:=)
Shane Nelson
ssninc ssn_inc has been really busy these past few weeks, but has still managed to produce a lot of beautiful work, so please go check that out. Similar story for Fen,
fen4554 who's been having a real rough semester. But, take a look at his page, too!
While things are still a little busier-than-usual at my end at work, the pace has slowed down a bit. I'll need to hit the books for a rather hard Japanese-language correspondence course I'm taking... but when I have free time and creative energy left, I hope to be working on a few writing projects, which I hope to post to FA and other parts of the net before too long. I would say "Watch This Space," but if you are reading this, you most likily already are --:=)
I've been workin' in the ri-ice field...
Posted 19 years ago... all the livelong--
Well, I -had- been, on Saturday --:=)
(continued from here)
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/38938/
On TV, I'll sometimes see advertisements for rice threshers and other such machines, which is kinda neat... even when I lived in the Midwest, I only caught those kinds of ads over the radio. Here, the farmers technically own little plots of their own individually, but in practice they seem to distribute their equipment and the work amongst themselves.
I know rice farmers here get a -lot- of subsidies from the national government, but I'll admit I don't know much beyond that. Competition from imports is becoming tighter. On the domestic (well, Japanese) front, I don't know if creeping agro-business and landlordism is becoming more of a problem or not. After the war, farming in Japan became more efficient when landlords and such were given fewer privileges -- that particular reform was based on Georgist principles, and I think that's really cool:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_George
Since I don't own a pair of Wellington boots, I had to stay on the sidelines, given that rice paddies* are basically little square swamps on terraces. While the farmers cut the stalks close to the ground with kama (small sickles), I moved the small stacks of rice stalks into bigger stacks, and letter helped move them into the rice thresher. When I had to move into the paddies themselves, I was careful to step slowly over the recently-cut stalk stubs. I never fell in or anything, but it was a little like a 3D platformer at times.
* tanbo/tambo in Japanese. With a 'p' (tanpo/tampo), it's written with the same two kanji but refers more to a rice -farm-. Anyway, if you watch The Seven Samurai again, you'll hear one or both words often.
Foolishly, while I included a change of clothes I did not think to include a long-sleeved shirt. (I'm technically in the mountains, and it's kinda hard not to be in this part of the west Japanese countryside, but not that high up, altitude-wise.) That didn't stop me, but it did cause my forearms to get a little cut-up, in addition to my chin. The principal's daughter lent me a shirt, though, which did help things after lunchbreak. I got to speak more with the others during the occasional tea break (barley tea, not green tea), and learned that one is the grandfather of one of my best students.
We had some nice talks; better yet, even though my arms and face were sore, I had a sense of accomplishment from the work that I haven't felt in too long. As those of you who know me are aware, I don't personally care for team sports, and am not consistent enough to be able to claim honestly that I "work out". And yet, I do get a lot out of physical labor when I can, and I even had one such job with a 60-hour workweek. That was only for a few months, though. I have to admire those who can do that kind of work for years on end to support their families.
Anyway, for those of you who read this and the other entry: thank you for doing so, and I hope it was interesting for you --:=)
Well, I -had- been, on Saturday --:=)
(continued from here)
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/38938/
On TV, I'll sometimes see advertisements for rice threshers and other such machines, which is kinda neat... even when I lived in the Midwest, I only caught those kinds of ads over the radio. Here, the farmers technically own little plots of their own individually, but in practice they seem to distribute their equipment and the work amongst themselves.
I know rice farmers here get a -lot- of subsidies from the national government, but I'll admit I don't know much beyond that. Competition from imports is becoming tighter. On the domestic (well, Japanese) front, I don't know if creeping agro-business and landlordism is becoming more of a problem or not. After the war, farming in Japan became more efficient when landlords and such were given fewer privileges -- that particular reform was based on Georgist principles, and I think that's really cool:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_George
Since I don't own a pair of Wellington boots, I had to stay on the sidelines, given that rice paddies* are basically little square swamps on terraces. While the farmers cut the stalks close to the ground with kama (small sickles), I moved the small stacks of rice stalks into bigger stacks, and letter helped move them into the rice thresher. When I had to move into the paddies themselves, I was careful to step slowly over the recently-cut stalk stubs. I never fell in or anything, but it was a little like a 3D platformer at times.
* tanbo/tambo in Japanese. With a 'p' (tanpo/tampo), it's written with the same two kanji but refers more to a rice -farm-. Anyway, if you watch The Seven Samurai again, you'll hear one or both words often.
Foolishly, while I included a change of clothes I did not think to include a long-sleeved shirt. (I'm technically in the mountains, and it's kinda hard not to be in this part of the west Japanese countryside, but not that high up, altitude-wise.) That didn't stop me, but it did cause my forearms to get a little cut-up, in addition to my chin. The principal's daughter lent me a shirt, though, which did help things after lunchbreak. I got to speak more with the others during the occasional tea break (barley tea, not green tea), and learned that one is the grandfather of one of my best students.
We had some nice talks; better yet, even though my arms and face were sore, I had a sense of accomplishment from the work that I haven't felt in too long. As those of you who know me are aware, I don't personally care for team sports, and am not consistent enough to be able to claim honestly that I "work out". And yet, I do get a lot out of physical labor when I can, and I even had one such job with a 60-hour workweek. That was only for a few months, though. I have to admire those who can do that kind of work for years on end to support their families.
Anyway, for those of you who read this and the other entry: thank you for doing so, and I hope it was interesting for you --:=)
Heisei 17 Trip
Posted 19 years ago(As in "See you next fall!" The bad kind... fortunately, Heisei 17 was last year.)
OVERVIEW
PERQUISITES
SKINNED KNEES
OVERVIEW
Just as you see elsewhere, the principal/headmaster of a school in Japan tends to be its PR person and dignitary. This is someone who -- at least in theory -- worked for many years in drudgery to get into that position. The vice principal of schools are the ones who tend to be more involved with the day-to-day operations of school itself, and that's honestly no different where I work.
For most foreign teachers in Japan, the headmasters of their schools come across as really aloof, or as someone you would be embarrassed to address without a good grasp of keigo. Keigo is the extra-extra-polite Japanese, and it's -not- something I'm particularly strong at, apart from a few stock phrases.
PERQS (I don't care for the abbreviation "perk" --:=P )
As for the principal at my school, he's not like that at all. Often you'll see him in his office sipping tea, or chatting with the ladies in the copy room... which you'd probably see in any Japanese workplaces anyway. He also reads the newspaper (Ky�to Shimbun) seemingly from cover to cover every day. He could do that in his office if he wanted to, but prefers to do so in the staff room. Since students are allowed to come into the staff room (all over Japan, I think), he also lends the boys the sports section during lunch if they want it, which they often do.
Like many Japanese of his generation, his English pronunciation and conversation skills are low, even compared to younger folk here, but he has an excellent grasp on English-reading and vocabulary. (His English is better than my French, really, even though he studied English much much much longer ago.)
The ubiquitous newspaper makes a good conversation-starter during down-time, so if I'm not busy at the time, we enjoy talking about current events together, and about the United States in particular. He's also one of very few Japanese people I can actually talk to about politics, which is kinda nice for a Washington D.C.-raised semi-wonk like me.
--:=P
On a distantly-related note, he once saw me reading this arc of Namir Deiter during lunch break:
http://www.namirdeiter.com/comics/i.....amp;until=week
Since the strip's tone is conversational rather than formal/textbook English, I (verbally) translated a little of it into Japanese as best I could. He seemed to enjoy my effort, but still didn't get what the strips were about... Oh well.
SKINNED KNEES
I'll always remember the day he way he tended to me last December -- right after I tripped on some ice on the way to school, ruining both a good shirt and pair of khakis when I skinned a knee and an elbow. (Especially the elbow -- a dermatologist later told me I got overlapping layers of two different kinds of scar tissue from that one --:=P ) At the time, I didn't know whether to feel more like Dick Van Dyke or a kindergartener... and while I didn't have any classes that morning, I was still expected to attend a morning meeting.
The principal sat to my left, where I had been injured. While I carefully had my hands over the torn clothing and blood, he could tell something was wrong from the stiff way I was moving. In my head, during that meeting, I was planning to go home, take a quick shower, give myself some first aid and change clothes before coming back... especially as the school nurse wasn't there. Instead, as soon as the meeting was adjourned, the principal got the key to the nurse's office and insisted I join him there.
'Turns out he used to be a shop ("industrial arts") teacher before going into administration, so he used to tend to injuries similar to (and probably worse than) mine all the same. After I thanked him profusely for his time, he invited me to come to his house and meet his family.
There I learned (in addition to the fact that his wife's an excellent cook and that katsuo/bonito is a great-tasting fish) that he comes from a long line of rice farmers, and that he lives in a house that has been part of his family for as long as there are records to prove it.
Months later, I unfortunately missed the chance to help him with planting, but later insisted that I help him when harvest time came. The weather and my schedule cooperated, so I had that chance the other day.
(See the next entry --:=)
OVERVIEW
PERQUISITES
SKINNED KNEES
OVERVIEW
Just as you see elsewhere, the principal/headmaster of a school in Japan tends to be its PR person and dignitary. This is someone who -- at least in theory -- worked for many years in drudgery to get into that position. The vice principal of schools are the ones who tend to be more involved with the day-to-day operations of school itself, and that's honestly no different where I work.
For most foreign teachers in Japan, the headmasters of their schools come across as really aloof, or as someone you would be embarrassed to address without a good grasp of keigo. Keigo is the extra-extra-polite Japanese, and it's -not- something I'm particularly strong at, apart from a few stock phrases.
PERQS (I don't care for the abbreviation "perk" --:=P )
As for the principal at my school, he's not like that at all. Often you'll see him in his office sipping tea, or chatting with the ladies in the copy room... which you'd probably see in any Japanese workplaces anyway. He also reads the newspaper (Ky�to Shimbun) seemingly from cover to cover every day. He could do that in his office if he wanted to, but prefers to do so in the staff room. Since students are allowed to come into the staff room (all over Japan, I think), he also lends the boys the sports section during lunch if they want it, which they often do.
Like many Japanese of his generation, his English pronunciation and conversation skills are low, even compared to younger folk here, but he has an excellent grasp on English-reading and vocabulary. (His English is better than my French, really, even though he studied English much much much longer ago.)
The ubiquitous newspaper makes a good conversation-starter during down-time, so if I'm not busy at the time, we enjoy talking about current events together, and about the United States in particular. He's also one of very few Japanese people I can actually talk to about politics, which is kinda nice for a Washington D.C.-raised semi-wonk like me.
--:=P
On a distantly-related note, he once saw me reading this arc of Namir Deiter during lunch break:
http://www.namirdeiter.com/comics/i.....amp;until=week
Since the strip's tone is conversational rather than formal/textbook English, I (verbally) translated a little of it into Japanese as best I could. He seemed to enjoy my effort, but still didn't get what the strips were about... Oh well.
SKINNED KNEES
I'll always remember the day he way he tended to me last December -- right after I tripped on some ice on the way to school, ruining both a good shirt and pair of khakis when I skinned a knee and an elbow. (Especially the elbow -- a dermatologist later told me I got overlapping layers of two different kinds of scar tissue from that one --:=P ) At the time, I didn't know whether to feel more like Dick Van Dyke or a kindergartener... and while I didn't have any classes that morning, I was still expected to attend a morning meeting.
The principal sat to my left, where I had been injured. While I carefully had my hands over the torn clothing and blood, he could tell something was wrong from the stiff way I was moving. In my head, during that meeting, I was planning to go home, take a quick shower, give myself some first aid and change clothes before coming back... especially as the school nurse wasn't there. Instead, as soon as the meeting was adjourned, the principal got the key to the nurse's office and insisted I join him there.
'Turns out he used to be a shop ("industrial arts") teacher before going into administration, so he used to tend to injuries similar to (and probably worse than) mine all the same. After I thanked him profusely for his time, he invited me to come to his house and meet his family.
There I learned (in addition to the fact that his wife's an excellent cook and that katsuo/bonito is a great-tasting fish) that he comes from a long line of rice farmers, and that he lives in a house that has been part of his family for as long as there are records to prove it.
Months later, I unfortunately missed the chance to help him with planting, but later insisted that I help him when harvest time came. The weather and my schedule cooperated, so I had that chance the other day.
(See the next entry --:=)
Sports Day at School, 2006 (aka Heisei 18)
Posted 19 years ago(Copied and pasted from Notepad. Hope it looks OK.)
No furry stuff yet. I'm about to go drinking with some of my coworkers, so I'll upload another inking from Shane... either in a few hours (when I'm tipsy), or tomorrow my time (probably the evening, your time) when I'm fully sobered up again --:=)
Sports Day at School, 2006 (aka Heisei 18)
OVERVIEW
The HORSE-TYPE'S RACE (that's just me: no horses --:=P )
JAPAN'S FLAG and ANTHEM
OVERVIEW
The school year starts in spring in Japan, and not during fall. The first week after summer vacation, however, is dedicated in preparation for something called undokai (usually translated "Sports Day", although it's not really about the normal team sports). Every student in the school participates: for example, the art club members make flags and banners for their homerooms, as mentioned here:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/211781/
Although, in the end, it's the track and field kids who really shine on this day.
Throughout Sports Day (from about ten to four, with breaks in-between) there are various footraces and dances in which the students perform. There are some activities where individuals are noted, but for the most part, it's a team effort, and thus for the most part it's the homerooms that are evaluated and get awarded.
As always, I was very proud of all our students. I talked to the girls who got minor injuries from doing the 100-meter (about 30-yard) dash, but fortunately, no-one was hurt too badly. Concerning the activities, I wasn't as involved as I'd have liked to have been, but at least I put in elbow grease during the set-up and clean-up.
The HORSE-TYPE'S RACE
There was one part in which I participated, though: Toward the end of the day we had a relay race, piting the teachers against the different home rooms. (We teach ages 11 through 14.) Unlike most participants, I volunteered to go twice -- there are fewer teachers to begin with, and we were a little short, anyway. The first time, I shot ahead of everyone and waved proudly as a drama queen. The second time, I already had to pass a student, and was just about to... when another overtook us both!
I'm glad it worked out that way, really. Most Japanese kids are in school clubs, and they practice for insanely long lengths of time in whatever field (or clique) they have chosen. So, as it worked out: I had my moment, at first. The second time around, two of those hard-working students were able to show up their cocky, long-legged English teacher. A teacher who eats a -lot- of Japanese food, both healthy and unhealthy --:=P
JAPAN'S FLAG and ANTHEM
As you can imagine, Japan has a much different history with its Hinomaru (Circle of the Sun) from what the US does with its own Stars and Stripes. At civil ceremonies everyone must stand and face the flag while it is raised and the anthem is played. However, since the war, there has been no saluting the flag; and singing the national anthem is strictly voluntary.
(It's not a long song. While I do know the words, I don't sing it... largely because I don't care for such things anyway, and more specifically I'd feel strange singing what is basically a Japanese analogue to God Save the Queen/King.)
A while back, the government tried to require all civil servants (including teachers at public schools) to sing the anthem. This, as you can imagine, met some resistance. Last year, the top administrators sang. This year, I heard the instrumental, and -no voices- whatsoever. Even here in the countryside, where people support the ruling party and tend to be more conservative.
Also, the school flag was flown larger than the national and prefectural flags. A little subversive, maybe, in an indirect, very Japanese way --;=)
No furry stuff yet. I'm about to go drinking with some of my coworkers, so I'll upload another inking from Shane... either in a few hours (when I'm tipsy), or tomorrow my time (probably the evening, your time) when I'm fully sobered up again --:=)
Sports Day at School, 2006 (aka Heisei 18)
OVERVIEW
The HORSE-TYPE'S RACE (that's just me: no horses --:=P )
JAPAN'S FLAG and ANTHEM
OVERVIEW
The school year starts in spring in Japan, and not during fall. The first week after summer vacation, however, is dedicated in preparation for something called undokai (usually translated "Sports Day", although it's not really about the normal team sports). Every student in the school participates: for example, the art club members make flags and banners for their homerooms, as mentioned here:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/211781/
Although, in the end, it's the track and field kids who really shine on this day.
Throughout Sports Day (from about ten to four, with breaks in-between) there are various footraces and dances in which the students perform. There are some activities where individuals are noted, but for the most part, it's a team effort, and thus for the most part it's the homerooms that are evaluated and get awarded.
As always, I was very proud of all our students. I talked to the girls who got minor injuries from doing the 100-meter (about 30-yard) dash, but fortunately, no-one was hurt too badly. Concerning the activities, I wasn't as involved as I'd have liked to have been, but at least I put in elbow grease during the set-up and clean-up.
The HORSE-TYPE'S RACE
There was one part in which I participated, though: Toward the end of the day we had a relay race, piting the teachers against the different home rooms. (We teach ages 11 through 14.) Unlike most participants, I volunteered to go twice -- there are fewer teachers to begin with, and we were a little short, anyway. The first time, I shot ahead of everyone and waved proudly as a drama queen. The second time, I already had to pass a student, and was just about to... when another overtook us both!
I'm glad it worked out that way, really. Most Japanese kids are in school clubs, and they practice for insanely long lengths of time in whatever field (or clique) they have chosen. So, as it worked out: I had my moment, at first. The second time around, two of those hard-working students were able to show up their cocky, long-legged English teacher. A teacher who eats a -lot- of Japanese food, both healthy and unhealthy --:=P
JAPAN'S FLAG and ANTHEM
As you can imagine, Japan has a much different history with its Hinomaru (Circle of the Sun) from what the US does with its own Stars and Stripes. At civil ceremonies everyone must stand and face the flag while it is raised and the anthem is played. However, since the war, there has been no saluting the flag; and singing the national anthem is strictly voluntary.
(It's not a long song. While I do know the words, I don't sing it... largely because I don't care for such things anyway, and more specifically I'd feel strange singing what is basically a Japanese analogue to God Save the Queen/King.)
A while back, the government tried to require all civil servants (including teachers at public schools) to sing the anthem. This, as you can imagine, met some resistance. Last year, the top administrators sang. This year, I heard the instrumental, and -no voices- whatsoever. Even here in the countryside, where people support the ruling party and tend to be more conservative.
Also, the school flag was flown larger than the national and prefectural flags. A little subversive, maybe, in an indirect, very Japanese way --;=)
Commissions from Shane
Posted 19 years agoHello, everyone! Especially those who put me on your Watch lists... who until now have been given no real reason to have done so -<:=)
I probably won't be having any of my own art to post, but I will be sharing versions of my commissions that have not been seen elsewhere. So far, that applies only to Shane Nelson's work, but that may change in the future. You will not be seeing -that- many updates from me, but you should see four or five before next Friday comes around.
(I do also, however, hope to post a very short story before the month is out.)
The first picture to be posted is this, a present to the one who first introduced me to Shane's work. This present can be found on FA in full-color:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/211249/
and now in its inked, two-tone stage:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/212398/
Next, I intend to post the first commission I ever (successfully) made from any other furry artist... it's also a piece by Shane. It even led me to become friends with Fen, so it is tied to very fond memories as well! (Coincidentally, it features a knot, too --:=)
And, only barely related, here's a little test as I continue to learn this interface of FA's:
unilaocorn
ssninc
bosshoss1
fen4554
I probably won't be having any of my own art to post, but I will be sharing versions of my commissions that have not been seen elsewhere. So far, that applies only to Shane Nelson's work, but that may change in the future. You will not be seeing -that- many updates from me, but you should see four or five before next Friday comes around.
(I do also, however, hope to post a very short story before the month is out.)
The first picture to be posted is this, a present to the one who first introduced me to Shane's work. This present can be found on FA in full-color:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/211249/
and now in its inked, two-tone stage:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/212398/
Next, I intend to post the first commission I ever (successfully) made from any other furry artist... it's also a piece by Shane. It even led me to become friends with Fen, so it is tied to very fond memories as well! (Coincidentally, it features a knot, too --:=)
And, only barely related, here's a little test as I continue to learn this interface of FA's:
unilaocorn ssninc
bosshoss1 fen455425 journals skipped
