Summer ended here with a bang. We had our athletic festival in the middle of September. It was nice weather thankfully, instead of the searing heat that I experienced the first two years I was here. We got rained out and ended up having it on a Monday. Predictably, only about a quarter of all parents were able to come. But the students still seemed all revved up and gave it their all. I’m not fond of the running courses, but watching the boys run barefoot in a warlike cry charging the other team and the girls go crazy in the tire pull contest is always interesting. The weather has been crazy these past three months with alternating hot and cold days, plus more rainfall in 3 months than I’ve seen in 3 years!
I’ve definitely had my ups and downs here, there are days that I love the experience which can be so foreign to me even after 3 years, and days where I’m so homesick that I’m ready to jump on a plane without a word to anyone. I often said that Japan is quite livable, and while that’s true it, it has never quite become home to me. I am fully appreciative of the opportunities here, and try to fully enjoy them before I head back home.
The budo training that I dreamed of all my life had come true. I found a teacher of real martial arts like those portrayed in the martial arts movies of my childhood. From David Carradine in Kung Fu, to Jean Claude Van Damme, to Steven Segal, the image of the miraculous old master who imparts his “secrets” to the young disciple. The secret is something that is printed in many books, and said by many teachers but is often overlooked. You need an excellent foundation. Correct structure is a must. But it’s hard to recognize that on your own. The eye of a master is needed to find the flaws in what you do. Strategy is vitally important as well. These are the only ways that a weaker person will overcome a stronger person. There are other details as well, depending on your art, but these two form the base for everything else. Principles!
Thinking back on my time here, I definitely think it’s true that Japan is quite safe. The quality of life here is high, with clean air and water, and nutritious food. But I’ve come to the conclusion that I like Western food the best. Whether it be hearty meat and vegetable from the European traditions, Mexican food, or even Middle Eastern food, all of those rank higher on my palate than Japanese food, Chinese food, or any other Asian recipes. I still like much of the Eastern cuisine but Western food is my comfort food.
Teaching here has fallen into a bit of a rut. I don’t feel that I have much opportunity to be creative anymore. I don’t do much with the 8th or 9th grade classes, and only a bit more with the 7th grade classes. I realize that we are assistants in our positions and that grammar is best taught in ones own native language, but as it’s called “team teaching” I would think that there would be more teamwork and less assisting. Oh well.
The Culture Festival preparations are going on, and I feel left out. As usual I haven’t been assigned to anything. I feel that it’s more tiring wandering from group to group, finding things to do, rather than already having a task to do. I should welcome the chance to be creative, but it’s very exhausting being creative day after day. I need a long tropical vacation!
To close, I must say that I look forward to the Fall colors, and doing some hiking while the crisp Fall weather is here, before the chill of winter sets in. Hopefully though, I can get some snowboarding in this winter!
everlastingsakura 