Lost... and found!

When you lose something in a public place, the odds of finding it are usually slim. But in Japan, I think those odds are much better. I've heard stories of people forgetting their wallet in a department store and then going back a few days later and it's still there. In Japan, there is a well-built system. When someone finds something, they usually bring it to the nearest police station, who will then either contact the owner (if a name is written) or wait till the owner contacts them. When you find something in Canada, there is no particular place for lost things.

The other day I lost my bicycle key. It's attached to a little magnet key holder. I don't really have a designed place for it, so it alternates between my jacket pocket, my lunch box, or a little satchel. Anyhow, at the end of the day as I came to unlock my bike, I realized I didn't have my key. I retraced my steps but it was nowhere to be seen. I immediately went to the 8th building's (where I take all my classes) office to ask if a key had been delivered today but they told me there hadn't been any key delivered that day. So I walked back home.

I have a spare key so it wasn't a problem really. Unlike a friend I know who lost both her spare key and her key because they were on the same keyholder (really defies the meaning of spare key, doesn't it), being smart I kept mine in my desk at the residence (says the girl who thought she was a genius when she found a method to never forget her locker combination: post it IN my locker). My brother will never let me live that one down.

I really wanted to find that original key. If I ever lost the spare key as well, then I would be in trouble. And since my brother will probably be using my bicycle in three years time, AND because my brother often loses things, I thought it best to have at least two keys. So I was going to go make a copy later this week, just in case.

However, today, I went to check out the office on the third floor of Building #1 because I was told to take a look there. And it was there!!! In a box, kept in a locked glass case, along with other things that had been found that week. I think I freaked out the office lady because I was just so happy to have found it. I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I probably wouldn't find it... but I did!

The ripe time

ripe - most suitable or right for a particular purpose; "a good time to plant tomatoes"; "the right time to act"; "the time is ripe for great sociological changes" (thefreedictionary.com)

The decision to study in Japan during my third year of university was my father's idea. He deemed it best that I first get used to the university system instead of flying halfway across the world right after my high school graduation. Perhaps he wasn't ready to let me leave the nest yet... and I wasn't ready either.

It was a good decision. I completed two full years of university at the University of Winnipeg. My first year consisted of general introductory courses. I also took an introductory Japanese course to prepare me for my trip to Japan. Then in my second year, after having taking an introductory kinesiology course (and fallen in love with everything kinesiology is about), I decided I wanted to become a personal trainer to help anyone (from seniors to overweight people to high performance athletes) achieve their goals through exercise and fitness.

Those two years helped me decide what I want to do with my life. During those two years, I also improved my Japanese a fair amount so that I wouldn't be completely clueless when I came to Japan (though I felt pretty clueless anyway). Those two years also helped me gain a certain amount of general knowledge that has proved itself useful in my Japanese class this semester.

For example, in each chapter of our book, we have a text to read. The subjects vary greatly. When I started reading lesson 7, I thought "Oh no, this is yet again a boring text that's hard to understand". But after a few paragraphs, I realized the text was about Weiner's Attribution Theory, something I studied in my Intro to Psychology class in my first year of university. So that gave me an edge over the other students because I understood the material well. Then, in lesson 9, the text talks about blood doping, an illegal method used by athletes to increase their stamina by increasing their red blood cell count (red blood cells absorb and carry oxygen throughout the body), something I learned in my Intro to Kinesiology class. So once again, having studied it back in Canada made it easier for me to understand the text.

So in conclusion, I'm confident that I am exactly where I should be. The time is ripe for me to be in Japan.

Google Japanese translation and second haircut

Google is an amazing tool. However, I want to warn you about the translation tool. I'm currently working on a speech because we have a speech contest coming up. And of course, the speech has to be in Japanese. So, to start, I wrote my ideas in English and then translated those into Japanese. I sometimes used the Google translation tool to help me when I wasn't sure. And let me tell you, Google has its own personal version of Japanese.

For simple sentences, no problem.

I went to school yesterday. --> Google translation: きのう、学校にいきました。(Of course, you can't read that, but it means the same thing as I wrote in English.

However, for more complex sentences, it comes up with weird sentences... but because I don't understand everything yet, even though I know it probably isn't right, I'm not sure how to say it correctly so I just copied and pasted those sentences as is into my speech. And when I asked my roommate to help me correct my speech, she laughed at a few sentences because the sentences made no sense at all. So, I just wanted to warn you, Google translation (or any other translation tool) can be quite useful. But because you can't always translate literally the meaning of a sentence from one language to another, some very interesting sentences (possibly the start of a new language! : p ) will come up, so err on the side of caution please.

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On Sunday, I went with my roommate to a hair salon, my second haircut in Japan. It's getting so hot now and my hair is especially thick and heavy so I thought it best to cut it a bit shorter for the upcoming humid summer days. And here is the final product:

The overall length is shorter, and I also have bangs for the first time, a slightly shorter part of hair at the front of my forehead (for those who don't know what bangs are). I also got my hair thinned out, meaning that they went through with scissors to cut off excess (and heavy!) hair. It definitely feels much lighter. The hairdresser was really nice and took time to listen to what I wanted. Overall, I'm quite satisfied with it and I really enjoy having haircuts in Japan. I find the hairstylists are more competent and put more thought into how they approach the cut. In Canada, I've had times where my hairstylist was distracted, or talked to a fellow hairstylist about her boyfriend during the whole cut.

All Japan team competition

The Tokai team participated in the All Japan Team Competition today. For the past weeks, the selected athletes have been practicing hard and preparing for this big day. A few years ago, Tokai won first place at this same tournament. But since then, the team hasn't been as strong and they haven't managed to regain that title. This time as well, unfortunately, they didn't manage to win either. They made it to the semi-finals, losing to the same team they lost to last year. So it was a bit disappointing for everyone I think.

The fighters lined up for the first match

For the tournament, the girls had these cool t-shirts made. In the front, the "kai" part of Tokai

And in the back, the remaining "To" part as well as the slogan: Champions again

One one sleeve, there are four kanjis written. These four kanjis are very hard to read, even my dad had some difficulty. Kanimaiou (かんいまいおう), which apparently means (according to the Internet): advancing in defiance
of difficulty towards an aim.

On the other sleeve: this stands for Tokai Joshi (girls) Judo, the 35 stands for the 35 girls in the club

Cultural adaptation

It's amazing the things we get used to. The human body is made to adapt to even the most extreme environments. Ok, lol, my environment isn't really extreme... but I've still gotten used to a few things since I've been here:

1) I've gotten used to having people lean against me on the train and almost fall asleep on my shoulder. I've also become that person as well. I usually wake up a few times and I always end up elbowing my neighbors by accident.

2) The words "typhoon" and "earthquake" have become part of my daily vocabulary. In fact, there's currently a typhoon in Japan. It started in Okinawa and has made its way to Honshuu Island. We're not in the worst of it, but the wind is blowing (making these really cool whistling sounds) and it hasn't stopped raining since this afternoon.

3) Japanese don't all look the same. True, they do look very similar. When I first started practicing at the judo club, the girls all looked the same to me. But now, I've gotten to know them, and now they appear very different from one another.

I'm sure there are a lot more things I could write about... but I'm tired, so you'll just have to wait till next time. : )

Second taste of Kabuki

My second time watching Kabuki was a much better experience. I went last Sunday with my aunt to the Shimbashi Enbujo theatre in Ginza.

This time, I wore headphones that provided an English translation and explained certain elements of the story or of Japan's history, relevant to the play. I did understand a lot more thanks to the headphones but I also found it quite distracting. At the same time as I'm trying to listen to the actors, I have a translation in English playing in my ear. And you can't focus on both. I tried. So I would go 50/50, first listen to the English translation, and as soon as there was a pause, try to decipher the Japanese the actors were talking. Overall, I understood 100% more than my first time (where I didn't understand a thing). I did fall asleep a few times... it's just so hot in there, and having to focus so hard to understand is quite exhausting.

We actually saw two different plays along with a kojo ceremony in between.

To give you an idea of what Kabuki plays are about, here are the summaries of the two plays I saw with my aunt on Sunday, recopied from the translated English pamphlet I received. (Therefore, I do not own these summaries.)

1. Ogurusu no Chobei (Chobei of Ogurusu Village): A modern comedy by Okamoto Kido (1872-1939) about a famous historical event. The village of Ogurusu is famous as the place where Akechi Mitsuhide met his death. Mitsuhide assassinated his master, the warlord Nobunaga, but after only ten days of ruling Japan, was killed himself, passing control to Hideyoshi. The farmer Chobei is the bad boy of the village and the object of everyone's laughter and contempt, until a samurai comes and hails Chobei as a hero for killing Mitsuhide.

2. Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees): This is Ennosuke's signature piece, full of fast changes, acrobatics and his trademark flight through the air. A magical fox takes the guise of a warrior named Tadanobu in order to get close to a precious drum made from the skins of his fox parents. But his mysterious activities throw suspicion on the real Tadanobu and finally the fox reveals his true identity. In the end, he flies away joyously when he receives the drum.

Both were very interesting and well played. I especially liked the last one because the actor who played the fox would leap into the air, or fall down from the ceiling, and at the end flew up away on a cable.

In between the two plays, there was a special kojo ceremony. According to the pamphlet : "Kojo is the essential part of the ceremony that makes up a kabuki actor's name taking performance."

During the ceremony, names are passed down. For example, "Ennosuke III is passing on his name to his nephew Kamejiro, who will become Ennosuke IV while Ennosuke himself will become En'o II."

I don't understand how it all works but what I learned is that Kabuki is generally passed down from one generation to the next, creating actor lines. Therefore, a Kabuki troup is mostly made up of blood relatives, with a few adopted actors as well. Kabuki actors usually make their debut on stage as children or in their early twenties at the latest.

Announcing the kojo ceremony

We weren't technically allowed to take pictures during the play but I took this one secretly.
You can see an actor to the right (in red) as well as the beautiful stage decor.

Little paper hearts that fell down from the ceiling at the end of the presentation.

My aunt Shizuko (left) with two friends

It's all about perspective

This morning, I took the train to Shinjuku, which is about a 1h ride. Usually, there are stops where quite a few people get off so you can snag a seat at that time. However, today, just as I rushed to take a seat, someone else took it right before me. This happened about 4 times. And I'll admit I was getting kind of pissed off because I had been standing for about 8 stops already and the people who were just coming on to the train were getting seats. Then, finally, I got a seat! Right on the edge, the seat that everyone likes the best. But... then I notice an old man who just got on at the last stop who's standing right next to me, holding on to a handle. And... even though I had just took out my textbooks to start studying, I put them back in my bag, I stood up and gave him my seat. And then, nothing mattered anymore. I could have stood all the way to Tibet because I was no longer angry or frustrated. I had given him my seat and done something good. Then, a few stops later, I was able to sit down, in the seat in front of him. And he looked at me, and ever so slightly nodded his head, thanking me for what I had done. And that made my day.

Happy birthday to me! and my dad! and my Japanese teacher!

Yes, we all share the same birthday date! Along with Natalie Portman, Johnny Depp, Michael J. Fox... neat, right? I'm turning 21! My dad is turning... I won't say. And my teacher... I don't know...

But first of all, I want to wish Happy Birthday to my dad. He can be strict at times, and unflexible at others, but I know I can count on him 100%. Since we were kids, he's been our main chauffeur, driving hours each day to Beausejour, Steinbach, and Winnipeg. He does the laundry every day, even after we come back late from judo practice. Now that I have to do my own laundry, I can appreciate what he does. He's helped me with my university assignments and now helps me with my Japanese assignments. And he's the main reason I'm in Japan right now. Thanks to his careful planning and organization, I'm studying and training in Japan, the experience of a lifetime. So thank you Dad, and Happy Birthday!

My dad in front of the baseball field in Tokai University

I thought celebrating a birthday away from home and close friends would be quite lonely. And yes, I would really like to be at home right now, eating a delicious meal and cake my mom would have prepared and opening presents. But, the reality of it is, I'm in Japan. I thought my birthday would go unnoticed because people here don't know when my birthday is. But, this birthday is turning out to be probably one of the best ones I've had. : )

To start, yesterday, at school I received a surprise birthday card and present. Because my teacher's birthday is today as well, I had made a card and was passing it around for everyone to sign. Just before lunch, I handed the signed card to her. Then all of a sudden, everyone starts singing Happy Birthday... not to my teacher but to me! Then, they placed a ring of stapled maple cookie bags on my head. My teacher had bought some maple cookies because well, I'm Canadian : P I was so surprised! All morning, I was trying to get the card for my teacher signed. And I didn't expect to receive a card because my birthday falls on a Saturday. A few weeks ago, we signed a card for another classmate but her birthday fell on a Thursday. So because there's no school on Saturday, I never expected a birthday card. Which made it an even better surprise. I really had no clue.

My beautiful maple cookie hat

My Japanese teacher with the same birthday: holding her card in the front row (first from left)



The birthday card I received from my class



Signatures and little messages from my classmates and teachers

Then, this morning, I wake up to find this beautiful banner made by my roommate Anzu draped to the curtain in our room.

It says: Happy Birthday (in French)

And on my desk, a nice letter with a present: earrings with a moonstone, the stone for the month of June.

After that, I skyped my mom and dad so they could wish me Happy Birthday and I could wish the same to my father. And their present for me, is a brand new laptop, with the latest software already installed. But the only catch is that I don't get to use it for another 3-4 months... lol I've been using this small netbook computer for almost 3 years now, since I started university. It's great because it's lightweight and compact, so it's easy to carry around in my backpack. But the screen is quite small, I often have to scroll sideways to see full webpages, and I can't insert DVDs or CDs. So I've been thinking of getting a laptop once I got back home. But now, there's one waiting for me : )

I also received a nice present from Japan: the rainy season (tsuyu) has officially started in the East region of Japan. From today, until about the 20th of July I'm told, it's going to be raining A LOT. Thank you Japan!

Finally, tonight, I went to eat supper at the Iwasa's home. As previously mentioned, my dad met the Iwasa's during his years at the International Chrsitian University. They've taken me under their wing and make sure I have everything I need.

Tonight, all their three boys were there to celebrate with me, Kenzo, Yoshiki and Daisuke. We shared a great meal of pizza, katsukare (my dad is probably going to be jealous), some miso soup, some vegetables, some jelly with fruit, and a piece of cake. And I've probably forgotten a couple of things because the table was full of food, like always.

With Shigenori, Yoshiki and Reiko

I received some beautiful embroided towels from them as well. They guessed right about the colors. I'm all about bright colors. The green characters are my name, Sayuri. That's something you can't get done in Canada, at least not in Japanese ; )

The day has finally come to an end. It's been a great day. I've had multiple birthdays: with my class, with my roommate, my family, and the Iwasa's. Thank you everyone, thanks to you, this has been one of the best birthdays I've had. : D Now, I think it's time to go to bed... Coming up tomorrow: I'm going to see another Kabuki with my aunt. Good night! And happy birthday to everyone born on June 9th!

Kabuki and NHK studio park

Yesterday, all the students of the Bekka Japanese language program had a field trip day. Last semester we went to Hakone but this time, we went to see Kabuki and visit the NHK studio park.

Class picture in front of the Kabuki theatre

Kabuki is a classical Japanese drama. The actors are all men, the female roles played by men as well, thanks to great facial makeup and costumes. I imagined Kabuki to be simply acting, but the actors dance and sing as well. And there are multiple things happening on the stage at once. On one side of the stage, you have a shamisen player (a three-stringed guitar-like instrument) and a singer. On the stage, you have the actors playing out their parts. But throughout it all, the singing, the shamisen melodies, and the words spoken by the actors flawlessly intermingle, showing the endless hours they must have practiced to be able to achieve that.

With classmates Wan (left) and An (right)

Inside the theatre


The whole presentation was in Japanese, but not the normal spoken Japanese, a more archaic and complicated Japanese that even normal Japanese have trouble understanding. To help the audience understand, you can rent headphones that provide explanations in Japanese or English. However, our session was only 1h15 and you had to pay about 9 dollars to rent a pair so I decided not to this time. And I didn't understand a thing. I couldn't even make out the words they were saying. So I kind of lost interest at times because I couldn't understand what was going on. I even fell asleep a few times... I wasn't the only one. For my first time seeing Kabuki, it was interesting and I now have a good idea what it is. And, on Sunday, I'm going to see Kabuki again, this time with my aunt. We should be renting headphones so it'll probably be more interesting and more worthwhile.

Then, after eating a Japanese lunch box (salmon, chicken, rice, soup, some vegetables), we went to visit the NHK studio park in Shibuya. (NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization)

Our lunch box: doesn't look like much but you're full after

The NHK studio park fell a bit short of my expectations I was expecting this cool studio that shows how they record their shows, the equipment, etc... and I also expected it to be in English for some reason. But everything was in Japanese. For  a lot of Japanese, kids and adults alike, who have grown up watching NHK programs and television shows, it's a great place. There are recaps of kid shows, some games, profiles of famous actors that have appeared on NHK, and many other things. But for us international students, it doesn't have as much meaning. And because everything is in Japanese, well, it's a bit hard to understand.

After that was done, we could either go back to the university by bus or go back on our own. I decided to do some shopping because I don't often get the chance to go to Shinjuku and Harajuku, the main shopping districts. I found some cute and airy summer clothes (desperately needed because it'ss getting so hot now) and then took the train to Shinjuku. Now let me say, Shinjuku and me don't get along. I always get lost, no matter how clear it seems to be in my head. As I wrote before, when my brother came, I was supposed to show him around Shinjuku but he ended up being the tour guide. But I've become used to it. Instead of stressing out, I now just relax and keep walking until I see a familiar landmark: "Hmmm... I think that looks familiar, let's go there". lol My grandmother just sighs when I tell her my adventures. In Japanese, the word maigo is used to describe a lost or stray child. I told my grandmother that I don't just become a maigo occasionally, but that I am a maigo. ; ) I don't know if there's hope for me... but I don't think it can really get worse so I've resorted to living as a directionally challenged person. This word exists by the way. I just found an article with the title "The directionally challenged lack an internal compass". Yup, that's me.

After about 30 minutes of walking purposefully, I finally found the stores I was looking for. Then made it back home safely. At least the train system is now pretty clear to me.