Japan First Days in Tokyo

I went back and added photos to my last Bali blog so if you want to see it with picture or just look at the picture you need to go back to that blog.

Japan First Days

Tokyo October 16, 17 and 18

The trip to Japan lasted 24 grueling hours from bed to bed. With very few hours of sleep, a five hour lay over in Malaysia and too many hours on planes, I managed to get a nasty head cold along the way. The transition to Japan has not been smooth. Our computer and phone do not work here and it took five tries to find an ATM that would give us cash. Credit cards are not widely accepted. We knew all these things coming in but dealing with the reality is different. If not for our host Shige we would have been even more lost. He is a professor at Gakugei University where he got us an apartment in the international student housing for most of the month we are here. He also met our plane, which was two hours late at the airport, bought us food, took us to the 24hr supermarket and then delivered us to our new home away from home around 1:00 am. We know him through my Uncle Bob. He is trying to help us make our plans for the rest of our time here.

Yesterday Shige took me to the campus Dr. to get some medicine for my cold. He insisted I do this. I told him at home I would never go to a Dr with these symptoms because there wouldn't be much they could do. He insisted. I got some kind of white powder to take three times a day for three days. I have no idea what it is. The Dr didn't speak much English but we communicated some how. And it was free, by the way, both the appointment and the medicine. I do feel better now after a good nights sleep and taking the medicine.

On our second day here Dave and Anika took the train to some area of Tokyo (Shibuya) Anika wanted to go to for shopping. She came home happy with lots of “cute stuff”. I stayed to meet with Shige. He was hoping I would be well enough to speak to his class on international education today. I felt better so off we went. First he told me he wanted me to get paid so we went to fill out some papers. I told him I was happy to do it for nothing but he insisted. I am now officially a visiting scholar! His class of about 26 freshman were meeting for the first time. He spent part of the class doing the usual here is the book you need to get etc stuff. Then they talked about why US companies grow most of the bananas eaten in Japan in the Phillipines. I was confused but then the conversation was mostly in Japanese with short bits in English. Shige showed a video about the history of US education starting with immigration at the turn of the century. It was in English and I do know something about this so things got easier. Later Shige told me most students understand at least some English but few speak it. They got to John Dewey and how he influenced US schools. Here is where I was supposed to come in. I ended up talking for only a few minutes, maybe five, describing a bit about Monarch and how John Dewy's philosophy influenced our school philosophy. The students asked some questions and that was it.

I noticed none of the male students participated. The female students answered questions and asked them. There was a lot of light banter and joking. The class felt very relaxed. There were two international students one from France and one from Singapore. The woman from Singapore introduced herself to me after the class and we talked a bit.  she ended up befriending Anika later that evening. The classroom itself could have been in the US in terms of what it looked like.

The university is very modern looking over all but with big old trees and well tended grounds. Shige says it was the site of a tank base during WW2 so it had been heavily bombed. It was rebuilt into a university after the war. The buildings have mostly that 50s-70s look, very practical and utilitarian. The colors are very neutral, the offices are organized and simple. We went to Shige's office after the class so he could meet with students. It was floor to ceiling with books, many of them education books I have read or know. There was a coach one one side of his desk and shelves with all kinds of technology (printer, DVD player flat screen TV etc. ) on another. It was small and full of stuff and reminded me of past college professors office's I have been in.

Three female students showed up and he made them tea. They took out sweet treats and he offered everyone chocolate. It was like a little tea party. Then he and the three girls talked about a book they were reading on Puritanism and the rise of capitalism. It reminded me a bit of Sarah Lawrence where you meet with your Don and have these kind of conversations. I could not follow the conversation but every so often Shige tried to include me. Another student walked in and he realized he had double booked. She waited patiently, refilling the tea, until he was done with the first three students. I excused myself shortly after they left to go home. 

Shige who insisted we get a phone to use here. Anika and I went to a gathering for all the international students living in our apartment complex.  They are all education students and most are already working in their home country. They are in Japan to do research but most spend the first year or so just learning Japanese. Many of them brought dishes to share form their country. It was a potluck and the food was great. Everyone went around and said who their name, where they were form and what they were there to study. I was happy I could now call myself a visiting scholar not just a world traveler on a year long vacation. A few students even did little performances of music or dance. I spoke Spanish with a couple of women from Peru and Mexico, that was fun. They were in Tokyo for the earthquake and Tsunami and told how amazed they were at the quick and organized response of the government. Shigue told me the Japanese consulate gives scholarships that many of these students have to come study in Japan. It was a very interesting group of people and a fun night.

We left the next day and have now been traveling in the mountains of Central Honshu for  almost a week. It is so beautiful. I am in sensory overload almost. Next blog photos and stories of Japan travel! don't know when that will be as wifi is hard to find.