TGIF - it's a met thing
On a weekly basis, staff at Met schools write a page or so that gets published for all of the small schools to read... One of the things I've agreed to do while in Japan is to write a TGIF each week to be published for all the staff in Providence and Newport... Not that I want to instill any jealousy. 'Course not. So, dear reader, enjoy this segway. I promise its gyro won't fail and dump you on your rear.
Friday, October 6th, 1:35pm, Tokyo. In the Hotel New Otani, Tokyo, Japan. In Providence, it's 12:35am, which means my TGIF is either 95 minutes late, or it's due in just a bit under 11 1/2 hours. I'm going to go with the second.
Last Thursday I had a chocolate party with my students; Friday I spent at our development day, thinking about my final packing steps. Saturday, I picked up my business cards ('meishi') from Kinkos, bought a flash unit for my camera, finished packing, dropped off information for my advisory at school, and tried to tie up some loose ends. And I think I did a pretty good job.
Sunday, 6am...TF Green airport, waiting to fly to Washington DC. A couple of hours later: in DC, waiting to fly to San Francisco.
Switch to Pacific time, 3 hours beyond Providence. 12 noon, hotel in San Francisco, starting to meet 200 people who will also be traveling to Japan. Lunch, orientation...getting talked to by this one guy with 28 plus 1 points of importance to remember while we're in Japan. Then dinner and a reception...Kip breaks out the new suit. Sexy mama... but I digress.
Next morning, 5am (time change is a killer): out for a run. Almost met a skunk. Took wonderful photos of San Francisco bay. 1pm, board a plane to Tokyo.
Next day, 5pm, plane lands in Tokyo. 8pm: at airport, off to dinner with a Japanese university student (who went to Brown!), and 10pm, passed out, asleep.
The goal of the above narrative was to give you a bit of insight to how this trip started...
What I've learned so far:
Japan is a hugely homogeneous society: most everyone dresses very well and very similarly (dark suits). Japan is a very polite society: I've seen none of the arguments I'd expect to see in Providence over the course of a week. Many educators in the world feel that having people sit in a chair and listen at someone talking is a reasonable way for someone to learn; apparently that's the way education in Japan goes; it doesn't work so well for me. There is a very surprising thought that many Japanese hold of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and that is the piece I'd like to focus on.
I participated in a session this morning with three speakers: one of whom is a survivor from Hiroshima, and the two others were daughters of survivors of Hiroshima, both of whom had fathers pass in recent years, as a result of radiation-induced illness, connected to the bombing. All three were exceptionally moving. The general feel is that the Japanese view this as a terrible tragedy, but something that can be learned from. The goal is now to work to create a world without nuclear weapons. Of course there are still people who don't share this view, and are more angry...but thanks to Japanese standards of behavior, people don't express this. Either that, or my understanding of the language is poor enough that I miss their anger entirely.
Tomorrow is a whole day to explore Tokyo... I can't wait. Looks like I'll venture out, get lost on the subway, check out some temples, collect some amazing photos, pick up some gifts to bring back for students and staff and friends. I want to have sushi for breakfast again...that was the best meal EVER this morning. Tuna and salmon...the most perfect fish. Yum. Now I want it for dinner, too. Sunday we travel to Arao, a small city on the southern-most island, and 60km from Nagasaki...which I absolutely must visit. At Hiroshima there's a peace-focused memorial, and I hope that Nagasaki offers something similar. Then we explore Arao for a bit, visit elementary, junior and senior high schools, and spend a day and night with a host family.
There has been a huge amount to take in over the last few days, and I've been pretty good about updating my blog and uploading photos (check those out, please... kipinjapan.blogspot.com). Hope things in Providence are good...it's raining like crazy here.
Peace
:Kippu-san
Friday, October 6th, 1:35pm, Tokyo. In the Hotel New Otani, Tokyo, Japan. In Providence, it's 12:35am, which means my TGIF is either 95 minutes late, or it's due in just a bit under 11 1/2 hours. I'm going to go with the second.
Last Thursday I had a chocolate party with my students; Friday I spent at our development day, thinking about my final packing steps. Saturday, I picked up my business cards ('meishi') from Kinkos, bought a flash unit for my camera, finished packing, dropped off information for my advisory at school, and tried to tie up some loose ends. And I think I did a pretty good job.
Sunday, 6am...TF Green airport, waiting to fly to Washington DC. A couple of hours later: in DC, waiting to fly to San Francisco.
Switch to Pacific time, 3 hours beyond Providence. 12 noon, hotel in San Francisco, starting to meet 200 people who will also be traveling to Japan. Lunch, orientation...getting talked to by this one guy with 28 plus 1 points of importance to remember while we're in Japan. Then dinner and a reception...Kip breaks out the new suit. Sexy mama... but I digress.
Next morning, 5am (time change is a killer): out for a run. Almost met a skunk. Took wonderful photos of San Francisco bay. 1pm, board a plane to Tokyo.
Next day, 5pm, plane lands in Tokyo. 8pm: at airport, off to dinner with a Japanese university student (who went to Brown!), and 10pm, passed out, asleep.
The goal of the above narrative was to give you a bit of insight to how this trip started...
What I've learned so far:
Japan is a hugely homogeneous society: most everyone dresses very well and very similarly (dark suits). Japan is a very polite society: I've seen none of the arguments I'd expect to see in Providence over the course of a week. Many educators in the world feel that having people sit in a chair and listen at someone talking is a reasonable way for someone to learn; apparently that's the way education in Japan goes; it doesn't work so well for me. There is a very surprising thought that many Japanese hold of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and that is the piece I'd like to focus on.
I participated in a session this morning with three speakers: one of whom is a survivor from Hiroshima, and the two others were daughters of survivors of Hiroshima, both of whom had fathers pass in recent years, as a result of radiation-induced illness, connected to the bombing. All three were exceptionally moving. The general feel is that the Japanese view this as a terrible tragedy, but something that can be learned from. The goal is now to work to create a world without nuclear weapons. Of course there are still people who don't share this view, and are more angry...but thanks to Japanese standards of behavior, people don't express this. Either that, or my understanding of the language is poor enough that I miss their anger entirely.
Tomorrow is a whole day to explore Tokyo... I can't wait. Looks like I'll venture out, get lost on the subway, check out some temples, collect some amazing photos, pick up some gifts to bring back for students and staff and friends. I want to have sushi for breakfast again...that was the best meal EVER this morning. Tuna and salmon...the most perfect fish. Yum. Now I want it for dinner, too. Sunday we travel to Arao, a small city on the southern-most island, and 60km from Nagasaki...which I absolutely must visit. At Hiroshima there's a peace-focused memorial, and I hope that Nagasaki offers something similar. Then we explore Arao for a bit, visit elementary, junior and senior high schools, and spend a day and night with a host family.
There has been a huge amount to take in over the last few days, and I've been pretty good about updating my blog and uploading photos (check those out, please... kipinjapan.blogspot.com). Hope things in Providence are good...it's raining like crazy here.
Peace
:Kippu-san
posted by kip at 01:47
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