A long time ago in a galaxy far away.....
Psht yeah right I'm not there yet, and you guessed it baby, this time I'm in JAPAN. And ya know what?? It's time to keep that TRAVEL TRAIN A ROLLIN'!
I wish this was a tv show, if this thing ever seems boring or lame, just imagine yours truly orating and you will see the light in my ways. Or maybe you'll just hit the living room with a pack of oreos, I suppose time will tell. So I've recently begun my job at an English teacher in Sano, Tochigi, Japan. I've literally been in Japan for one week now and my has it already been blowing my mind in an irregular fashion. I'll be here for a year so prepare for some blogging in somewhat of a regular one however. So what do you say we crack a few eggs to make the omelet?? Let's get started baby.
I've never been to Japan, nor have a I ever been to the East. Yet the world is continuously shrinking and I stand poised to reap the benefits. What kind of benefits you say? Well they're a secret and I'll never tell you. There's a couple first impressions right off that I can just list in no particular order, which is reflective of my current, yet natural, state.
Forget waving. That was so NEVER HAPPENED ago. Bowing is your non physical, non verbal, yet social weapon of choice. Everybody freaking bows man, and it's WAY more common than I thought. Okay maybe people wave too, the jury is still out on that, but bowing. It takes forms that you wouldn't expect, which makes bowing an off the cuff and convenient way of saying, well, WAY more than hi or pleased to meet you. SURE. It does say those things, and likewise, I'm not very used to that - it's still confusing to know how far down to bow or to know how far I have bowed really. It's like when you're doing push ups and your ass points waayy up in the air and you're like, "heck yeah, I'm doing such a sweet push up right now," but then you're coach or whoever calls you an insignifican't do a push up and you realize wait, I didn't know my butt was just doing it's thang. Gotta watch that but anyways when bowing I have the same feeling. But that's formal bowing, don't have that down, but a kind of more informal bowing, that has caught on like a wildfire in dry wood.
Now this new kind of bow is not exactly from the waist up, and in fact, it's more generally involving the neck or a curving in of the shoulders. You may also have, yet limited, use of the waist as well depending. Really in more formal situations or to communicate a proper thank you or a proper honor - then it comes from the waist and pretty much only the waist. Now I know you're jonesing to know what in the world other situations I'm talking about. Well here it is, and I can only give examples as I don't myself know the full extent yet. If you just see somebody you haven't seen in a while, you bow. If you bump into somebody on the sidewalk and you're sorry, you bow. If you are biking or walking across the street and the car lets you go, or you let the car go, which ever was waved on bows. That's right, people bow while driving, riding a bike, basically any situation which allows them motion in their waist or their neck is a potential bowing situation. It's a way of acknowledging presence, saying you're sorry, or thanking someone, etc ad infinitum. It seems to happen at least once in the majority of conversations for one reason or the next. The person bowed to almost always gets a bow back. I do it now all the time and ITS BEEN A WEEK. It's simply permeating.
I am sensei and you can too. That's right, I'm a freaking sensei, Luke Sensei to be proper about it. That is awesome and kind of surreal, also an honor. You know, it wouldn't be such a mind F if I hadn't started to understand that context of sensei in Japan. In the states, when we think of sensei, there are a handful of people who either know that this means "teacher" or "master." But let's be real, to those who very lightly and almost unknowingly observed the Japanese culture from the US understand only that people who take part in martial arts call their instructor "sensei." But no...no no. It doesn't stop there, not at all. In Japan, sensei is a new title, like Dr. It comes with a high amount of respect and is given to doctors, lawyers, and teachers. Oddly enough, if you have a PhD, but are not a teacher, you do not get this title. Quite interesting. Sensei comes with respect and I come wondering in and just like that, am given this honorific title. Sensei is, if you are one yourself, a title that is always used with your name if someone is familiar with you but are not a close friend. For instance, if you have a neighbor who knows you and knows you are a teacher but does not really know you very well, that person will call you (your surname) Sensei or just Sensei. I've actually experienced this myself in a way which kind of surprised me.
When I was getting settled here at my apartment, my supervisors and I had to have someone come over and hook up the gas so I could use the stove etc. The guy, I'm sure upon some small talk on the way in, had found out that I was here with two other teachers and that I was in Japan to myself, teach English. He and my supervisor were in the kitchen and I was in the living room when I heard from the other room, "Sensei? Sensei?" It took me a second to realize that the gas guy was actually calling ME into the room. When I got in there he just wanted me to sign some papers etc that had to do with setting up the gas. And as I signed I could make out that he was saying over and over something to the tune of, "thank you Sensei," and "Yes, now one more time here, Sensei." He would do mini bows several times while saying this, he was quite tall and probably the tallest Japanese dude I've met to date. Now it's fairly normal to bow more than usual when you are in a position which serves someone(ie a job where you get paid to do things for people who need you or your skills to do something), but this seemed perhaps excessive. Jury is still out as to whether the bowing was more by virtue of the sensei thing, but regardless, an interesting sequence which caught me in a strong cultural exchange that one would only miss if they blinked.
It was just strange to consider my prerequisites. I speak English. This skill, virtually innate, feels at first to fall well short of deserving the honor which is bestowed by the title "sensei." Yet, I suppose when selected for the program I'm on, perhaps they cater to those who they deem more fit for this honor? Who knows? I can imagine that a prereq of a bachelor's and rigorous interview screening could start the attempt to provide Japanese schools only with those which will possibly pay homage to this title. Perhaps. When you get down to brass tax, I suppose prerequisites are the same for those wishing to teach a foreign language in the US. However this honor, bestowed on teachers, respects the borders of those countries that observe it. Oh well, maybe one day guys - U-S-A! U-S-A! Whatever anyways that about wraps up our first cultural corner. Until next time, and oh the many next times there will be!
Psht yeah right I'm not there yet, and you guessed it baby, this time I'm in JAPAN. And ya know what?? It's time to keep that TRAVEL TRAIN A ROLLIN'!
I wish this was a tv show, if this thing ever seems boring or lame, just imagine yours truly orating and you will see the light in my ways. Or maybe you'll just hit the living room with a pack of oreos, I suppose time will tell. So I've recently begun my job at an English teacher in Sano, Tochigi, Japan. I've literally been in Japan for one week now and my has it already been blowing my mind in an irregular fashion. I'll be here for a year so prepare for some blogging in somewhat of a regular one however. So what do you say we crack a few eggs to make the omelet?? Let's get started baby.
I've never been to Japan, nor have a I ever been to the East. Yet the world is continuously shrinking and I stand poised to reap the benefits. What kind of benefits you say? Well they're a secret and I'll never tell you. There's a couple first impressions right off that I can just list in no particular order, which is reflective of my current, yet natural, state.
Forget waving. That was so NEVER HAPPENED ago. Bowing is your non physical, non verbal, yet social weapon of choice. Everybody freaking bows man, and it's WAY more common than I thought. Okay maybe people wave too, the jury is still out on that, but bowing. It takes forms that you wouldn't expect, which makes bowing an off the cuff and convenient way of saying, well, WAY more than hi or pleased to meet you. SURE. It does say those things, and likewise, I'm not very used to that - it's still confusing to know how far down to bow or to know how far I have bowed really. It's like when you're doing push ups and your ass points waayy up in the air and you're like, "heck yeah, I'm doing such a sweet push up right now," but then you're coach or whoever calls you an insignifican't do a push up and you realize wait, I didn't know my butt was just doing it's thang. Gotta watch that but anyways when bowing I have the same feeling. But that's formal bowing, don't have that down, but a kind of more informal bowing, that has caught on like a wildfire in dry wood.
Now this new kind of bow is not exactly from the waist up, and in fact, it's more generally involving the neck or a curving in of the shoulders. You may also have, yet limited, use of the waist as well depending. Really in more formal situations or to communicate a proper thank you or a proper honor - then it comes from the waist and pretty much only the waist. Now I know you're jonesing to know what in the world other situations I'm talking about. Well here it is, and I can only give examples as I don't myself know the full extent yet. If you just see somebody you haven't seen in a while, you bow. If you bump into somebody on the sidewalk and you're sorry, you bow. If you are biking or walking across the street and the car lets you go, or you let the car go, which ever was waved on bows. That's right, people bow while driving, riding a bike, basically any situation which allows them motion in their waist or their neck is a potential bowing situation. It's a way of acknowledging presence, saying you're sorry, or thanking someone, etc ad infinitum. It seems to happen at least once in the majority of conversations for one reason or the next. The person bowed to almost always gets a bow back. I do it now all the time and ITS BEEN A WEEK. It's simply permeating.
I am sensei and you can too. That's right, I'm a freaking sensei, Luke Sensei to be proper about it. That is awesome and kind of surreal, also an honor. You know, it wouldn't be such a mind F if I hadn't started to understand that context of sensei in Japan. In the states, when we think of sensei, there are a handful of people who either know that this means "teacher" or "master." But let's be real, to those who very lightly and almost unknowingly observed the Japanese culture from the US understand only that people who take part in martial arts call their instructor "sensei." But no...no no. It doesn't stop there, not at all. In Japan, sensei is a new title, like Dr. It comes with a high amount of respect and is given to doctors, lawyers, and teachers. Oddly enough, if you have a PhD, but are not a teacher, you do not get this title. Quite interesting. Sensei comes with respect and I come wondering in and just like that, am given this honorific title. Sensei is, if you are one yourself, a title that is always used with your name if someone is familiar with you but are not a close friend. For instance, if you have a neighbor who knows you and knows you are a teacher but does not really know you very well, that person will call you (your surname) Sensei or just Sensei. I've actually experienced this myself in a way which kind of surprised me.
When I was getting settled here at my apartment, my supervisors and I had to have someone come over and hook up the gas so I could use the stove etc. The guy, I'm sure upon some small talk on the way in, had found out that I was here with two other teachers and that I was in Japan to myself, teach English. He and my supervisor were in the kitchen and I was in the living room when I heard from the other room, "Sensei? Sensei?" It took me a second to realize that the gas guy was actually calling ME into the room. When I got in there he just wanted me to sign some papers etc that had to do with setting up the gas. And as I signed I could make out that he was saying over and over something to the tune of, "thank you Sensei," and "Yes, now one more time here, Sensei." He would do mini bows several times while saying this, he was quite tall and probably the tallest Japanese dude I've met to date. Now it's fairly normal to bow more than usual when you are in a position which serves someone(ie a job where you get paid to do things for people who need you or your skills to do something), but this seemed perhaps excessive. Jury is still out as to whether the bowing was more by virtue of the sensei thing, but regardless, an interesting sequence which caught me in a strong cultural exchange that one would only miss if they blinked.
It was just strange to consider my prerequisites. I speak English. This skill, virtually innate, feels at first to fall well short of deserving the honor which is bestowed by the title "sensei." Yet, I suppose when selected for the program I'm on, perhaps they cater to those who they deem more fit for this honor? Who knows? I can imagine that a prereq of a bachelor's and rigorous interview screening could start the attempt to provide Japanese schools only with those which will possibly pay homage to this title. Perhaps. When you get down to brass tax, I suppose prerequisites are the same for those wishing to teach a foreign language in the US. However this honor, bestowed on teachers, respects the borders of those countries that observe it. Oh well, maybe one day guys - U-S-A! U-S-A! Whatever anyways that about wraps up our first cultural corner. Until next time, and oh the many next times there will be!
Fascinating stuff, Luke Sensei , man!
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