It was with great happiness that I closed the door on my last day as an English instructor at Meisei University.  Though it was a very interesting and challenging experience to teach Japanese students, I've had enough for awhile and I'm anxious to spend more time on my own Japanese studies and graduate work instead of trying to maintain a busy part-time teaching contract on the other side of the city.

Students play a board game to practice speaking

On my last day I gave a written and oral final exam which meant that I talked to about 120 students for around 2-3 minutes each.  Though exhausting (along with being a huge test of patience) it was supremely interesting to hear their answers to a variety of questions required by the university.  One of my favorite answers of the day was given in response to the question, "What is your favorite sound in the world and why?"  The student said "bird whispers" with supreme confidence and then explained that she really enjoyed the sounds that birds make before they go to sleep.  Needless to say, answers ran the gamut from completely incomprehensible to extremely odd and creative.


The class that gave me the most trouble in terms of behavior was the only class that wanted to pose for pictures afterwards.  In that class I had about 35-40 students and it was impossible to keep them engaged, off their phones, awake etc.  There was a particular group of girls who I had to consistently talk with to pay attention and stop talking to their friends in Japanese.  I was convinced that they hated me after so much conflict, but they are the same girls who wanted to take pictures together after class.  Though they may seem sweet and innocent, I can assure you that they are not (see above picture).




My trusty TA (Sean) is also very happy that the class is over since he will no longer be deluged with stacks of grading and record keeping.  This was good timing as he started work last week at a private English teaching corporation.  So far he's enjoying it a lot (especially because he's only been assigned to adults and no young children).

It has also been interested to read the evaluations from my students.  Some are positive and my favorites include comments such as "Sarah was lively and spirited" and "I created memories in this class" while others are hilariously negative including such gems as "I hate English" and "Why can't you speak in Japanese?" Some things never change whether one teaches in Ohio or Tokyo.

Examples of student work - they had to draw five scenes from a "movie" of their life including past, present and future and then talk to their partner about it

One of the hardest things to do in a new country and community is get to know people outside of one's age group.  I've read increasing amounts of articles recently about the importance of regularly mixing with people of all different ages and about how rare this has become in our own culture.  Though it can be a bit awkward at first or difficult to set up, experiencing a new country and culture through the eyes of a variety of ages makes it all the more real and special.  Today was a very unique day in that I spent the morning with an elderly Japanese woman and the afternoon at a K-12 Japanese school.

I received a call two nights ago from the local community center that they had a tutor for me! I was very excited and arranged to meet with her on Saturday morning at 9:30.  She greeted me and we walked the four or so blocks to her house and she shared a little of her story.  My tutor's name is Hori and she looked to be in her mid to late 70s.  Her husband was a journalist and spent three years in D.C. working for a paper.  Hori went with him and learned English there through the help of local volunteers and tutors.  When she returned to Japan she vowed that she would help newcomers to Japan when she retired.  Since she's retired, Hori has helped more than 50 foreigners study Japanese - an incredible and inspiring story of diplomacy.  She teaches 4-5 of us at one time; for example she meets with me on one day of the week but with others on different days of the week.  She has a lot of experience teaching and can speak some English but she was all business about getting me to speak only in Japanese.   I had an absolute blast and can't wait to meet with her again next week!



After meeting with Hori, I biked to the station to meet up with the Glocal volunteer group to tour a local K-12 Japanese school.  It's very difficult to get into Japanese schools as an observer, so I jumped at the chance when I found out about the opportunity.  We spent the first part of the afternoon observing classes and having lunch with the students.  Then we shared and talked about our dreams for the future.  It was a lot of fun and fascinating to hear about a typical Japanese student's experience.  The points that came up again and again were: no free time, lots of pressure, no creativity or critical thinking and lots of exams.  We were there on a Saturday which is a regular school day for Japanese.  I can't even imagine.

I returned home feeling very lucky that I was able to spend the day with two entirely different populations of local Japanese people and I was able to learn a lot by talking in person and hearing their stories and laughter.

We have a friend visiting now which has been really fun but put a damper on studying for my Japanese midterm exam Monday morning.  Fortunately,  today we woke up to the first big snow of the year and all classes were canceled (including my exam)! What excitement and fun! Though it's fairly easy to get around on foot, the snow significantly slows down the trains and buses which puts the city dangerously behind schedule.



From what I've heard, Tokyo doesn't usually get much snow except for the occasional dusting that's gone by the end of the day.  Today's snow, while beautiful, is wet and heavy as it was followed by rain.  Campus is transformed and also crawling with students taking pictures as many have never seen snow before.  University social media is clogged with exclamatory winter hashtags along with joyous expressions of sleeping in and cancelled classes.

One thing that I thought I would miss about Michigan was the surprise and unexpected gift of the occasional day off due to winter weather.  I definitely didn't think it would happen in Tokyo but I'm delighted that it did!

Lately, I'm thankful for . . .

Free use of blankets in almost all coffee shops in Tokyo for that extra bit of warmth

Heated toilet seats - amazing and ubiquitous

Friends and family who visit! (Ken (friend from China) is coming today and Sean's sister, Jen, is coming in two weeks)

The hot teas and coffees in the heated sections of convenience stores

Unexpected packages from Germany filled with delicious goodies - thanks Craig and Dave! We can't wait to try everything and the surprise was awesome!


Sunny winter days

Classy Friday night date nights at McDonalds - sometimes we go crazy and get a McFlurry

The "hot" section of convenience stores - what a great and delicious idea!

Most of all, I'm thankful to Rotary International for the opportunity to spend two years studying about peace and living and learning in a different country.

Musashine city public library

One of my favorite places to be is in a library whether it be a university library or a public library, it doesn't matter. When I'm back at home, I love going to the Hope College library, even though I kind of feel like an impostor since I'm not a student there anymore.  Regardless, I just don a Hope hoodie, put some Ugg boots and black leggings on, get the wifi key from someone and generally blend right in.  My hometown library is similarly fantastic and always has great programming along with a tasty cafe.

Rules and tiny brooms on all library tables at ICU

The ICU library is slightly disappointing for a couple of reasons, but I'm still trying to give it a chance.  The thing I don't like most about it is the hours of operation.  It's only open from 8:30-10 p.m. most days and on Sundays it's only open from 1:00-7p.m.  It's closed on holidays or when school isn't in session, which happens a lot.  Another thing I don't like about it are the intense rules.  There's absolutely no talking on most floors and absolutely no eating or drinking - there are signs everywhere.  If you must have a water bottle with you, it has to be kept on the floor - it's not allowed to touch any table or desk.  The library is immaculate and there are reminders everywhere to keep it that way - on the group study tables there are even baskets with tiny hand brooms and dustpans to perfectly rid the table of any scraps before vacating.  Incredible.  One final thing that I don't like about it is that no visitors are allowed.  To enter, you have to have a student ID card so that means people like Sean, who live on campus and would like to study occasionally in the library, are not allowed in.



The ICU library has a couple redeeming qualities, however.  The technology is great and there are vast amounts of computers (both PC and Macs) available for student use.  On the basement floor, the only one where talking is allowed, there are several large whiteboards standing up next to group tables for brainstorming etc. - this is such a great idea! I have used them with my tutor to practice kanji and Japanese sentences before putting them down on paper. The last thing that I think is interesting about the library is that it has a high-tech book storage system that is completely run by a computer and machines.  If you want a book that is not in the more current stacks/sections, then once you find it in the online catalog, you just click a box, and the machines in the warehouse next door go to work.  A few minutes later, your book appears in a box that slides into the reference system on a conveyor belt.  It's amazing! During orientation, we got to go in the warehouse and see the behind-the-scenes action.  It was probably the most exciting part of the entire orientation.

Oh my gosh - can you believe it! So cute!

On holidays like today, the library is closed, which is frustrating because I would like to spend the whole day in a quiet place to study.  Thus, I have found a second appealing option - the local Musashino city public library.  I absolutely love this library and I am not alone; it was voted one of the best libraries in Tokyo and I feel lucky that it is only a fifteen minute bike ride away.  The design is spectacular and the cafe is even better.  I spent the whole afternoon and evening there today and it was love at first sight when my coffee came adorned with a super cute bear!  Later, when I had to switch tables to meet with my tutor, I ordered an herb tea and it came with a tiny hourglass to let me know when it was done steeping - so cool!  The study rooms are quiet, the staff is friendly and the facilities are bright and clean.  But lattes with animal graffiti? That's taking it to a whole new level!

Tea with hourglass timer

My Japanese teacher constantly reminds us how to make sure that our communication and conversations involve "soft landings" which means not saying anything too direct or harsh which can be considered a little offensive and rude.  The other day, I joked about this with my friend after she had made a particularly direct remark in class.  The following day, she sent me this article from the New York Times, "Creating a Cuteness Empire in Japan, One Fuzzy Bear Suit at a Time" and noted how every message in Japan, from sewage treatment to politics to emergency evacuation procedures is softened by using some kind of fuzzy mascot.  “Japanese people have this desire to take the sharp edges off things, to take hard things and make them soft,” she said. “If you want to explain, say, industrial waste, adding a character softens the message and helps it get through to people.”  Yes! Exactly! I can feel this in so many different areas of daily life here in Japan.

Don't try and make the train when the doors are closing (as suggested by the worried, animate gate)

This is the furry friend that I met today while on the way to lunch - he was there with a few policemen advertising an anti-terrorism awareness campaign

Today I have the whole day off because today is a national holiday in Japan called "Coming of Age Day."  It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have reached the "age of majority" (20 years old) over the past year, and to help them realize that they have become adults.  Activities include getting dressed up in fancy clothes, attending official ceremonies at local city government buildings and parties with families and friends.

We have talked a little about this holiday in some of my graduate school classes and all of the Japanese graduate students immediately whip out their phones and show us pictures of them in fancy clothes.  The women wear a special and expensive type of kimono with long sleeves and sandals.  The kimonos are so intricate and complicated that they take a long time and require help to be properly put on.  Since the gowns are so pricey, nowadays it's common to rent or borrow instead of buying them.  It's also popular to get one's hair done at a beauty salon.  Guys have the option of wearing a traditional male kimono or a Western suit and tie.

Awhile back, before I knew anything about the holiday, I received a campus-wide email inviting foreigners to participate in the event by dressing up in kimonos.  I RSVPd with a hearty 'yes' and got the reply that I couldn't participate because I didn't turn twenty years old this year.  Bummer.

One of my absolute favorite things about living in the suburb of Mitaka is the fantastic community center programming that's offered by local retired Japanese volunteers.  The center is called the Mitaka International Society for Hospitality (MISHOP) and is located about a twenty minute bike ride away from ICU.  The center offers weekly cultural activities and frequent small trips with the goal of helping and getting to know more foreign residents in the city and having fun.  Sean and I signed up for their ski trip in late February and we're really looking forward to it.

My Japanese class today (the two teachers are standing to my right)

But the best part of the center is the free language classes and resources that are provided.  Once a week for two hours Sean and I attend Japanese language classes taught by retired members of the community. They put a lot of time and preparation into the lessons so even though most of them have never taught before (much less taught Japanese as a foreign language), the classes are always fun and interesting.  Sean is in the level one class and his classmates are from South Korea, Tunisia and the U.S.  I'm in the level two class and my classmates are from Malaysia, China and the U.K.  I enjoy the classes because the emphasis is on practical speaking skills - something that I don't get in the very formal university classes.  Also, most of the volunteers don't speak very much English so communication in Japanese becomes very necessary and real.

The center also offers free language "lounges" where you can just drop in and practice speaking Japanese.  One final resource they provide is free one-on-one tutoring.  This is hugely popular, however, and we have been on the wait list for awhile.  This involves meeting with a retired community volunteer for two hours a week to practice Japanese.  I hope we can get some tutors soon as I hear that everyone really enjoys the program.

For me, this experience is really special because it reminds me of my dad.  After he retired from teaching, he started volunteering with new immigrants to the U.S. helping them with anything from passing their GED to learning English.  Here in Japan, I'm on the receiving end of this kind of help and it's amazing how much of a difference it makes to see locals volunteering their time to help someone to the community and to the country.  It makes me feel more connected, more cared about and more capable of everyday life.  Thanks volunteers!

One event that's coming up at MISHOP - a Japanese tea ceremony

On Monday there is a Japanese national holiday (coming of age day - more on that later) and we have a three day weekend which softens the blow of going back to school and work full time.  Sean and I had a really lazy start to the extra long weekend and it felt great!  We biked to Japanese class at the community center and then had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant in Mitaka with Shook, one of the other Rotary fellows who also attends the class.  She showed us a nearby popular Hundred Yen store (Dollar store) that was packed on a Saturday afternoon.  We stocked up on some more cutlery and glasses since we are having our first visitor next week and only have enough eating utensils etc. for two people.

After shopping, we biked home and stopped off at a local greenhouse on the way. I bought one more plant and a few supplies for repotting some more at home that are growing like crazy.  After a nap, we awoke just in time for a Christmas package delivery from the Doyles.  It made it an especially good Saturday night to go through the treasures that the care package offered such as: macaroni and cheese, pancake mix and syrup, bacon spam, jerky, hash brown mixes, candy, instant oatmeal, gourmet hot chocolate, microwave popcorn and fancy marinades for meats and seafoods - we are so excited!



After a dinner of mini pizzas, we worked on repotting some of the plants that I bought when I first arrived in Tokyo.  I had to cut off the plastic containers on some of them as the roots were bursting through.  It was super satisfying to transport the plants into a new home giving them more space for new roots to grow.  A nice idea, isn't it?  Making more space for new roots to grow.

During fall term, I worked as a writing support tutor for the library and really enjoyed it.  Basically the job involved going to an hour-long professional development training every week and then meeting with students on an appointment basis to work on any step of the writing process together.  The writing support center asked if I was interested in being a teaching assistant for a pilot project they are running at ICU in the winter.  The project developed because of the ICU professors' frustration in the Japanese undergraduate students' writing ability in English.  Thus, a new kind of course was born - one that requires all writing assignments to be in English but also provides TA writing support outside of class.

I agreed to give it a try and this winter term I'm one of two TAs for the undergraduate linguistics course, the History of the English Language (or HEL as we used to call it at Hope College).  I actually took this class as an undergraduate and loved it, which was part of the idea why I wanted to be one of the TAs.  The pilot program is organized a bit differently and involves me getting paid to sit in the class twice a week for two hours each time as well as a one hour training once a week on Fridays.  Our trainers are a ESL professional from the U.K. and a Japanese professor.  My co-TA is a Japanese PhD student also interested in language acquisition.

Something else that's confused - it's been so warm in Tokyo that the cherry blossoms are starting to bloom on campus

Though I wasn't told much about the position, I made a lot of assumptions - my first mistake.  On the first day of class, we introduced ourselves, described the program and the assistance we could provide outside of class.  Then we sat in the back of the class to listen.  The idea of being in class is to not only understand the main points of the course but also to understand the nature of the writing assignments given.

However, as soon as the course began, I sensed an immediate problem.  Though the subject of the course is English, the textbook is in English and all assignments are to be written in English, the lectures are in Japanese, a fact that I was not aware of nor, it seems, were the people who hired me who were well aware of my (lack of) Japanese language ability.  When I informed my trainers of this, I assumed they wouldn't want me to participate further as the lectures were way over my head.  However, we ended up coming to a kind of compromise with the professor.  I have to sit in the class and whenever the professor thinks there is something really important about the structure/grading of the assignments, she repeats the announcement in English.  A slightly awkward, but effective arrangement.

Most days in that class I try to follow along as best I can and can usually pick up the main idea.  But other times I just give up, read the textbook and catch up on emails, read the news or study Japanese on my own.  I've been finding it an ideal time for blogging as well (I'm sitting in that class now by the way). The most frustrating part of the class is when everyone laughs at something that the teacher says and I can't for the life of me figure out why.  But I find myself wanting to laugh right along with everyone else feeling more and more like the oblivious (but happy) outsider that I am in this country.

Green tea pancakes with red bean paste? I'm game

Similar to the internship opportunity in Mozambique this summer, something else I've wanted to do for a few years now is the Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS) internship.  This internship also requires you to be a full-time student, either undergraduate or graduate.  The VSFS program is not that old, but already is showing great success.  The object is to connect government agencies with students in the same field to work on projects, bring in new ideas and learn about how the agency operates.  When I applied back in July, the list of projects was over three hundred and included working with institutions such as NASA, the Smithsonian, NIH and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, State and the EPA.


Most internships are for ten to fifteen hours a week and are unpaid.  My internship is with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and so far has been a fantastic experience.  Sometimes I think I'm learning more or getting more out of my extracurricular activities here at ICU than with the actual coursework.  I work on various projects for about ten hours a week and once a week I have a Skype call with my supervisor at the home office in D.C.

Here is the posting of my internship position:

Bamboo forest about a minute from my dorm

I'm watching the vacation days be crossed off on my calendar one by one with increasing panic and dread.  I've enjoyed the vacation so much - sleeping in, lazily reading the news with a cup of coffee, endless crosswords with Sean, baking projects, Skype dates, Netflix binges and long walks/jobs on campus.  It's been glorious and one of the best staycations we've ever had.  Both of us have been mildly productive as well but mostly we've enjoyed the precious free time that we've had together.

The last of the vibrant Japanese Maples on campus (pics from one of my long walks in the sun)

 January and February are going to be busy beasts of months as school and everything starts up full force this week and Sean starts some required training for an English job.  We are also having two visitors:  Ken, our teacher friend that we met in China, is coming for a week and a half at the end of January and Jen, Sean's sister (currently lives in Saudi Arabia), is coming for the first week in February.  Add to that a mini ski trip and winter exams at the end of February and the time is going to fly.

But one of the great things about being a student is though while in-session time is frantic and pressurized, there is plenty of vacation.  We have the entire month of March off which I am already looking forward to.  For the first week, Rotary takes us on a fully-funded trip to Hiroshima to learn about the history and visit the peace museum there.  Then I am hoping to take a trip to Florida for a bit to see my whole family as my parents rent a condo near where my brother and his family live.  If I time it right, I can be down there when my sister visits as well.  Though I would love to visit Holland, March is about the worst time to be in Michigan so I am more than happy to rendezvous down south.



I'm hoping to make a few changes this winter semester to have a more balanced and sane time.  This includes getting up a little earlier in the morning and committing to less events on weekends.  I'm also hoping to start swimming to relax a bit and also because there is a convenient pool on campus right near my dorm.  I'm feeling more and more the need to have a chance to actually speak Japanese as my ICU class focuses mostly on kanji and grammar.  I'm on the list for a volunteer retired community tutor, but I've heard that can take awhile.  Though my undergrad tutor practices speaking with me, that's only one hour a week.  Everybody else in Mitaka just wants to practice English with me as soon as they hear my toddler level of Japanese and find out I'm from the States.  This has prompted me to look at some online Japanese speaking partners/teachers, which is kind of ridiculous as one wouldn't expect to have to do this living in Tokyo . . .

Campus trails

A display of Hanko stamps in a store

Like I've said before, one of the benefits of going abroad with Rotary is that they take care of you in every aspect.  Upon arrival, among other things, I was given my own personal Japanese name stamp called a Hanko or Inkan and business cards (one side in English the other in Japanese).  Though we had experience in China with seals, we never had our own stamps.  In China, one couldn't get anything done unless official documents had at least one or sometimes several red seals.  I used to think that if I could just get my hands on a couple of them for personal use then life would have gotten a lot easier.

My ink stamp case

My stamp with ink inside

Here in Japan, people use their stamps instead of signatures.  As a foreigner, I've been able to do both though I was required to have my stamp when I signed up for a cell phone and opened a bank account.  I also have to use it on official documents at school.  It is kept in a little convenient carrying case that has its own red ink compartment.  My stamp is just my first name in Katakana which amounts to the characters that sound out "sa - ra" which is what Rotary picked out for me.  One of our projects during break was to get Sean his own name stamp as he has to open a bank account of his own (apparently joint checking accounts are not a thing here).  I also am supposed to use my ink stamp when I sign in to teach at Meisei University. Sometimes I forget to bring it, however, and in that case they just let me sign my initials.

My name "sa-ra" stamped out

Most Japanese have much more intricate stamps

NYE in Mitaka was sunny and beautiful and Sean and I enjoyed another relaxing day at home doing a bit of schoolwork, cleaning, putting Christmas decorations away, baking and went for a run together around campus.  I'm having fun playing with a fitbit that I got from my sister-in-law - it's interesting to track steps, workouts, sleep etc. (Want to be fitbit friends?)  In the evening we made a feast of shrimp and cocktail sauce, olives, meats, cheeses, crackers, stuffed mushrooms and wine. It was delicious and one of my favorite menus of the year.


After cleaning up and doing some crosswords together (we're on a huge crossword kick), we rode our bikes to the nearest temple to hear the giant bell being rung 108 times for the New Year.  We got there at about 11:45, just in time to join the crowds waiting and standing in line for their yearly special temple visit.  There were lots of food stands and impromptu stores selling monkey trinkets and good luck charms for the new year.  We got back home at about one in the morning, popped some champagne and then filled up the hot water bottles to get ready for bed and warm up after the freezing wintry bike ride.  Happy New Year!