Felt

I've been working on these little felt guys off and on for the past few weeks.  They actually turned out much better than I expected and they're really fun to make.  Sitting around in the dorms can be extremely boring sometimes.  These little projects definitely make it more bearable.

It sounds odd, but making these has been excellent for stress relief...and if nothing else, I'll have a large stock of goodies by the end of summer for all of the kids that I know.  Dakota's sister is expecting twins and I think these could make a really cute mobile.  I'm just waiting to find out if they are boys, girls, or both.

I'm so glad it's the weekend for me.  I'm definitely going to bed early tonight.  I feel like a zombie. 

A Small Rant...

This post is actually a little overdue.  One of the events that sparked it happened a couple of weeks ago...but better late than never, eh? 

What actually finally inspired me to do it was when one of my co-workers said that America is the greatest country in the world. 

Well, ok.  I'm all for patriotism...but how do you rate the "best" country?  And how can you say that if you've never lived anywhere else?  It seems that all of the people that are so quick to say it's the best don't really know much about any other culture...or can produce any solid reason as to why they think that way. 

My theory is that it's ingrained in our culture in an unflattering sort of way.  A little boy, no more than 7 or 8 met some of the Japanese students a couple of weeks ago.  After chatting with them for a few minutes, he innocently asked, "do you have pencils in Japan?" I could not believe what I had just heard.  I don't blame the boy by any means...I know that he was being perfectly serious.  But it made me think back to my own childhood.

 The idea that America is the most advanced, best, and richest country in the world is shoved down our throats the minute we hit school.  I remember thinking that America was the only country where women had rights...because that's exactly how it was presented to me.  Several female presidents are currently in power in Europe and South America.  And guess which country has never had a female president? 

You guessed it. 

This young boy actually seemed to believe that other countries were so low tech that they couldn't figure out how to make a pencil.

And who makes most of the most advanced electronics and cars in the world?

Japan.

I don't despise America or anything, but being around another culture makes me realize how arrogant Americans can really be.  The ingrained sense of superiority and lack of respect for other countries and cultures really bothers me.  You can be proud of your country...but there is a big difference between patriotism and ignorance. 

Week Three

I'm surprised it's been three weeks already.  It seems like I just posted about the second week.  O.o  Time flies when you're busy.  It's been a pretty normal week, I suppose.  I guess I haven't explained my daily routine yet. 

I get up at around 6:30 every morning.  We all go to breakfast at 7:15 to eat some sub-par cafeteria food.  The students go to class at 8:00 and I go to the International Office to work the front desk.  At noon, I leave the office to eat lunch with the students, and then I go back and work until 3:00.  3:00 is such a glorious time of day...I don't have to be back until 5:00, so this is when I go to my apartment and hang out with Dakota for awhile.  Unfortunately, he has to be at work at 4:30, so I don't get to take advantage of the whole 2 hours.  : (  We all eat dinner and then head back to the dorms where we hang out until study hall.  I only have to run study hall on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I get a break every other evening (again, to spend with Dakota.)  It's usually from 7:00 to 8:30.  After that, we just hang out in the dorms.  That's when I usually take the time to browse around the internet, Skype with Dakota, or just relax.  I usually crash around midnight.  Rinse.  Repeat.  At least Monday through Thursday.

Fridays are typically free days.  We all just hang out in the dorms and relax.  Saturdays are activity days.  This weekend we went to a baseball game:  Chicago Cubs vs. Kansas City Royals.  I'm not a sports fan, but it actually wasn't too bad.  I at least somewhat understand the rules of baseball.  I also tried a ballpark hot dog called "El Diablo."  It had chili, hot sauce, jalepenos, chili powder, and pico on it.  Mmmmmmmmmmmm.  I'm not normally a fan of hot dogs, but this one was pretty good.  I think the students really enjoyed it...especially when they saw Kosuke Fukudome on the screen when he went up to bat.  They were thrilled to see a Japanese baseball player. 

Before the game, we went to the mall.  At least the girls liked it...not so sure about the guys.  It was nice to actually get out and shop...I don't get to do it very often anymore because of things like bills and responsibility, but I decided to treat myself.  : )  I got me some cute new dresses, some necklaces, and a pretty awesome pair of oxfords.  It was nice to get out of town.  That's for sure. 

Today I woke up and was surprised to find that one of the students who RARELY talks to anyone bought doughnuts for all of us.  It was soooo nice!  I'm glad he's starting to get to know people now.  We also made some onigiri and miso soup for dinner.  Onigiri are little triangles made from rice.  You can add various things to them, but the most common are tuna, pickled plums, mayonaise, and seaweed.  There are also various spices you can add.  To make it a little more interesting, we decided to turn it into an English-speaking activity.  We broke the students into 4 groups.  In each of the groups, the students had to explain how to make onigiri, but they could only do so in English.  Also, everyone in the group had to talk.  Any student who spoke Japanese or didn't talk had to face the penalty:  giving a one minute speech in front of everyone in English on a topic of our choice. 

There were only 2 who suffered the penalty.  It was pretty funny.  We had the first guy talk about his favorite shoes and the second guy talk about his favorite music.  Definitely a good way to incorporate some learning.  Although it was fun to make the onigiri, I gotta say I wasn't a fan of the flavor.  Seaweed just kind of tastes like dirty lake water to me.  Good thing I had Subway first. 

I'm not looking forward to tomorrow...or the rest of the week, for that matter.  Soooooooooo much to do.  I just want it to be the weekend again!  We're going to WORLDS OF FUN!! Yay!  Another week of not enough sleep does not sound appealing.  No sleeping in until next Sunday.  *sigh* 

Stargazing and Such

Last night Dakota and I were feeling a bit restless cooped up in the dorms.  Since we (or rather, I) couldn't really leave, we decided to walk around campus and get some fresh air.  It was a beautiful evening...not too hot, not too cold, not too humid.  After a short walk and some failed attempts at some handstands (don't even ask...I don't know either) we ended up laying on the asphalt on the basketball court and looking at the stars. 

While we were laying there, we noticed a particularly bright light in the sky that was moving.  At first we thought it was a plane, but it was moving too slowly and irregularly to be a plane.  Our next guess was that it might be a shooting star, but the way it was moving was just so odd.  So of course I jumped to conclusions and suggested that it was a UFO.  And then I remembered that I have an Android which has an app on it (Google Sky Maps) that allows you to point your phone in any direction and it will map out all of the stars, planets and constellations that are there.  It's incredibly awesome.

Turns out it was the star Arcturus, and after doing some research we read that it often appears to be moving.  We also learned that it's waaaaay bigger and brighter than the sun.  It was actually pretty interesting, if not quite as interesting as a UFO would've been.

Space is honestly such a fascinating thing to me.  I need to start stargazing more often.  Dakota's parents have a telescope we might be able to borrow, so I think we just might add it to our list of hobbies.  Google Sky Maps doesn't hurt either.  Seeing all of the planets, constellations, and galaxies....and knowing that there is so much more out there that we don't know about makes me feel so small and insignificant.  It's a crazy feeling.  Who knows...maybe someday I'll spot a UFO.   

I Won!

I recently entered a giveaway from Saratops, hosted by Moorea Seal.  I was so shocked when I opened up her blog to read it and saw my name and my picture on it!  I never win anything and I'm really new to the blogosphere, so it was pretty exciting to me.  : )  I'm super excited to pick out some things in Sara's shop.  I think I'm leaning towards some of the city map and woodland topography notebooks and some gift tags.  The notebooks would make cool travel journals and I love wrapping pretty presents, and those gift tags are beautiful. 

Big thanks to Sara and Moorea!!   

Oh, Anticipation

This one is for my fellow Harry Potter fans.  As you may have guessed, I'm more than a little obsessed with the series...I have been in love with it since I started reading it when I was 8.  No other series has ever topped it for me. 

Anyway, JK Rowling has recently launched a new website, Pottermore.  At the moment, it just says "Coming Soon", but if you click on the owls, it takes you here.  This video is a countdown until JK Rowling makes an announcement.  What this announcement could be, however, is a mystery. 

It's exciting, consdering I've already forced myself to cope with the fact that the series is over.  There could be more after all.  Personally, I'm hoping she is writing background stories for some of the characters we don't know as much about, like Dumbledore, Voldemort, or even Harry's parents.  But it could be a new series.  Or it could just be a hoax...who knows.

We'll find out in about 11 hours, 24 minutes, and 7 seconds.  : )

Bowing Protocol

I had a really interesting conversation with some of the students the other day and I thought I'd share it.  As you might know, bowing is very common in Japan.  What you may not know (I certainly didn't) are the rules of said bowing.  It all started when one of the students addressed me as "Brittany sa ma."  I was somewhat confused by this because they usually call me "Buri chan."  When I asked them about it, they told me that "sa ma" is the polite form. 

Of course this led into an entirely different conversation about the levels of politeness and formality in Japan, which is seen in how you address people and how you bow to them.  Buri is kind of a nickname.  They pronounce my full name Buritany because in Japanese every consonant must be followed by a vowel sound.  The "chan" is just a way of addressing someone (like Miss, Mr. Mrs., etc.) except it's a very casual way of doing so.  You only use it if you are talking to a friend.  The next level is "san."  You would use this if you were talking to someone a little bit older than you, a co-worker, or someone else you are familiar with, but is not exactly your friend.  The highest level is "sa ma."  You would use this form when addressing a politician or your boss...someone you must be very respectful to.

There is a somewhat similar concept for bowing.  You should ALWAYS bow to someone that is not your friend when you greet them.  If it is at the acquaintance level, you may just nod your head a little bit as you pass them.  If it is someone that your are a little less familiar with, you should bow at a 45 degree angle.  Males should keep their hands at their sides and females should put their right hand over their left hand.  NEVER look at someone while you are bowing to them.  It's considered rude.  The highest level of bowing, which is of course reserved for those you would refer to as "sa ma," is a very deep bow, almost a 90 degree angle.

I really admire the immense respect that is present in Japanese culture.  While I also admire the concept of individuality in Americans, I think that sometimes we take it too far and forget to have respect.  The way the Japanese treat each other and really anyone they come in to contact is...well, classy.  They thank me for things that don't even deserve a thank you.  I'm very humbled by it and I've started to think twice about my actions.  I think I'm generally a polite person, but these students blow me out of the water.

Anyway, I hope you find this as interesting as I did.  I challenge anyone who reads this to bow to the next person that they thank.  It'll definitely throw them off.  ; )      

Week Two

This second week of the program has gone by a bit more smoothly than the first.  I'm starting to get into a routine, which helps a lot.  The sleep schedule isn't the greatest, but it's been a lot more fun.  Now that I've gone on 2 weekend trips, I feel a little bit more relaxed about the planning aspect of everything.  Now I've gotten to focus a lot more about learning about Japanese culture and sharing American culture. 

The weekends are by far the most fun.  During the week, the students don't get a break until at least 9:00, and it's not much better for the PA's.  On the weekends, besides the trips (which are pretty fun, anyway), we have a pretty open schedule to just hang out and relax.  AND SLEEP IN.  One of the instructors for the program has a house on the lake, so we got to spend Saturday swimming, playing volleyball, riding pedal boats, and just relaxing.  It was very refreshing.  After that, we went to a pow wow so the students could see a little bit of Native American culture.  There were some dances that the crowd could join in.  Most of the students were shy to join at first, but after me and a few others joined, they eased up.

Sunday was your typical lazy Sunday.  One of my fellow PA's, Aki (who happens to be Japanese) made some Japanese food for dinner for everyone.  After two weeks of foreign food, the students were thrilled to eat something familiar.  I can sympathize...I went to France for two weeks in high school and I missed American food after the first couple of days.  Anyway, the food was AMAZING.  She made some curry and rice and there was not an ounce left by the end of the night.  She said she'd teach me how to make it.  It basically tastes like vegetable stew with rice...except it's at least 20 times better than any vegetable stew that I've ever eaten.  I don't think I can ever go back to it now.

Mmmmm.. 

I feel bad because I intended to post a lot more than I do.  I just get so busy!  I'm hoping to post a little bit about some of my crafting next week...I've been working on a few projects : )

For now, I'll give you a few more of my cultural observations:

1) The students are FASCINATED by lightning bugs.  They came out at the pow wow and I think they took more pictures of the bugs than they did of the dancers.  It was kind of amusing for me.  Apparently they are rare in Japan.

2) I have a very sarcastic type of humor.  This is not always well understood by the students.  One of the students asked me where his passport was and I told him we had to burn it for security purposes.  His jaw dropped...I had to tell him I was kidding.  I think they're starting to catch on, though.

3) One of the students explained to me that American students tend to be much more adult-like than Japanese students of the same age.  Part of this may be that many American college students have to pay their own way through school and life, whereas the Japanese students are still mostly taken care of by their parents. 

Well, it's almost time for study hall.  Konbanwa!

 

Keeping in Touch

Even though Dakota and I are living in the same town, we really don't get to see each other that much.  I was a little down about this, so Dakota came up with a great way for us to keep in touch with each other...every day we write a note for each other and we exchange notes the next day that we see each other.  It may seem a bit cheesy, but I love it.  Dakota has been hanging all of my notes on the wall above our bed, as you can see in the top picture.  You can't really stick stuff to my wall at the dorms, so my desk will just have to do for now.  At the end of the summer, I will add his notes to me to our wall.  I think it'll look pretty cool.  ^_^

Nostalgia

I'm not sure why, but summer always makes me feel nostalgic.  Perhaps it's because summer is always the time where you make the most memories...not that you can't do that during school, but it's easy for school days and even years to blend together because it's so routine.  Summer's not quite like that.  Though I hate summer weather (way too hot), I love having the break, and I think maybe it's the lack of a break that's getting to me. 

There are so many wonderful things I associate with summer:  cookout food, last minute plans, hanging out with friends, visiting family, sundresses, Tropical Sno (look it up if you don't know what it is...it will change your life)...and most of all, just not being stressed out.  This summer won't be like that...I made a huge committment, and though I'm having a lot of fun, it gets to me every now and then.  There are times when all I want to do is hang out in my apartment and watch back to back episodes of The Office or Modern Family...and then I realize that I can't.  I never realized how much I took the freedom to do what I want for granted.    

What really brought all this about was watching the trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter movie.  I know that seems odd, but it reminded me of last summer, when Dakota and I first moved here. I reread the entire Harry Potter series.  It was amazing...though when I was finished, I felt a little sad because I had to face the fact that the wizarding world does not exist.  I realized this morning that that's what I really want right now...a temporary escape, if only for a little while. 

I've even felt a little homesick...as much as I don't like my hometown, the summers there were always wonderful.  I could really go for some Tropical Sno right about now. 

Week One

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted something.  I've been extremely busy.  This job is pretty much 24/7, so it's rare that I have any time to myself.  I'm sure it'll get easier once I get into the routine of things, but this first week was a little bit rough.  There is just so much to do all the time.  Not only am I working the camp, but I also have to work in the office during the day.  Monday through Thursday the students are in class, so I try to take care of any reservations that need to be made during the office hours.  I've already decided that I hate planning meals.  It's a real pain.  We also go on weekend trips, which can be stressful with so many people and things to keep track of.  Despite the stress, I'm learning a lot and I LOVE the students.

I seriously couldn't ask for a better group of people to work with.  They are so eager to learn and so much fun to be around.  It's tiring most days, but it's worth it.  I was a little down those first couple of days because it was so hard to spend the day without Dakota.  After 2 years of living together and seeing each other everyday, it was rough to spend that first night alone.  The students have cheered me up considerably.  On the second day, one of the girls came up to me and handed me a package.  She wrote me the sweetest note thanking me for helping her during this program and saying that she hoped I could understand her English (which I can just fine.)  She also enclosed some adorable goodies from Japan:  a beautiful flowered fan, some scented rubber bands, a mechanical eraser, and the tiniest set of sticky notes I have ever seen in the shape of little weiner dogs.  I was honestly speechless.  It made my whole day.

Everyone here has been so incredibly friendly.  It's only been a week, but I've already learned some interesting things about Japanese culture.

1) Knowing your blood type is a big deal in Japan.  It's common when introducing yourself to someone to ask what their blood type is or tell them what your blood type is.  They were asking me at lunch one day and were shocked when I told them I had no idea. 

2) The sweets here are waaaaaaaaay too sweet for them.  I'm not much of a sweets person myself, but they have a really low tolerance for the amount of sugar that we put in our food. 

3)  Japanese poker and American poker are not the same.  They invited me to play cards and I asked what they were playing and they told me it was poker.  I honestly don't know how to play poker, but I know this game is not what we typically refer to as poker.  All of the cards in the deck are distributed among the players.  Before the game begins, you should put down any number pairs that you have.  When you begin, you will take a card out of the person to your right's hand.  The objective is to get a match from them.  You want to run out of cards before the others. 

4)  Japanese scissors have a cover on them to make them safer.  I definitely think that idea should carry over here to the U.S.

5) I know I've already mentioned how nice the students are, but I can't emphasize it enough.  They are so polite and respectful.  I had made some brownies for one of the girls' birthdays and the next day she handed me the containers I had brought the brownies in.  She had washed them for me.  It's just little polite things like that that catch me off guard. 

6)  Nicknames are very common among Japanese students.  They've already given me one.  They call me Buri chan. 

Well, I'm pretty much exhausted for the night.  We had our first weekend trip today.  I'm ready for some sleep.