Kesennuma Welcome Dinner (June 28)

After visiting Nakai Elementary School, we returned to Hotel Pearl City to change, then we were bused to a formal welcome dinner at Hotel Kanyo.

We were greeted with a standing ovation as we entered the banquet room. Most home stay families were present to greet us, as well as local Japanese teachers involved in the exchange, and local municipal officials and educators. Unfortunately, my home stay family was not in attendance.

A surprise presentation by traditional Japanese drummers (Taiko) was the treat of the night. Wish I could post a small movie clip of the sound coming from those drums!

American teachers were invited to try out the taiko. Yours truly is on the left:


After formal introductions (American teachers on stage, introducing themselves one at a time), we had an excellent dinner, even for a non-fish eater! (I had penne ariabata (pasta), garden salad, fancy sandwiches, etc.--all very good.)

What I could not eat is below...

Sashimi = various raw fish

Small woven baskets in foreground contain raw shark heart:

Sea urchins are black below:


Michele from Manhattan was as happy as could be with all the seafood!





A great night was had by all!

Nakai Elementary School (June 28)

The school visit started with a briefing about education in this area by the Kesennuma City Board of Education.

-Kesennuma is the hub of ESD in Japan
-Population of Kesennuma: 75,000
-21 elementary schools (3803 students, 308 teachers)
-13 junior high schools (2353 students, 227 teachers)
-6 high schools
-3 school-related facilitites
-15 sports facilities
-education accessible to all


Nakai elementary has developed and implemented Global Learning to foster students' global perspectives and communication skills. Three main education policies are:
1. promotion of international education by using ALT's (Assistant Language Teacher) and teaching English starting in elementary school,
2. promotion of ESD, and
3. improving teacher training and quality.



In order to encourage the above, Kesennuma schools have ALT's helping teachers with the English component and elementary teachers have been working with jr-sr high teachers to help teachers adjust to teaching English in the elementary schools. In addition, since 2003, over 1000 students have gone to Australia for 2 week home stays. Teachers can now take professional development courses locally.


Kesennuma City promotes ESD and is a forerunner at all levels, from elementary to university levels (Myagi Univ.). The city has signed a memorandum with the Department of Education to align education of sustainability and has taken the motto, "The Forest is the Sweetheart of the Ocean."

The majority of schools in Kesennuma are UNESCO schools.

NAKAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

After our morning educational policy session, young students came to the school library to lead each one of us individually to the gymnasium. Each American teacher had a kindergarten student leading us by the hand as we descended a stairwell covered with arches layered in brightly colored tissue paper flowers, then through a gauntlet of students waiving American flags. As we entered the gym, we were led to the stage, where chairs were set up for us. It was quite a feeling; many held back tears, while others let them flow freely. All of the schools students were on the gym floor, looking up to us on stage. After brief introductions, we were treated to a few songs by the students. The first song was a bilingual version of "It's a Small World". I have video of the touching performance, but cannot post it on-line. We then were introduced to an interactive game and played several rounds with the students on the gym floor.

(Student faces purposely blurred...)



After the assembly, teachers were assigned specific classrooms where we were to have lunch.

Lunch in this school was an amazing thing to watch. Students put on their white frocks and hats and each proceeded to complete their assigned duties. Some went to the hall to get the meal (prepared in a different building, then shipped to the schools in large thermal containers), while others continued to prepare the classroom for lunch (set up desks, wash desks, ...). Each student also had a small bag at their desks that contained their cloth napkin and chopsticks, another bag that contains their "work" clothes (apron, bandana), and a small seat pad to sit on.


A few students had bento boxes (see June 24) with home meals, but this was in addition to their school meal. Students then served the meal for everyone in the classroom.



Once everyone was seated, the teacher said a quick grace and students replied, then we all ate.


After lunch, the teacher and students gave thanks for the meal they just had and the teacher put on a recorded song so that students could brush their teeth a specific amount of time, until the song was finished. Then, they all got up to go to the hallway sink (long basin with many faucets) to rinse their cups and brushes.


The next task was to change from the white frocks and hats to aprons and bandanas.

Again, each student had an assigned chore: some got out brooms and mops, others got out the dustpans, others moved the desks to one side, others got out rags, and still others, sponges to clean the board. The students then proceeded to clean their classroom, and I helped sweep the floor! This is done everyday after lunch, by the students (all grade levels in this school, K-6). It was awesome seeing the young students go through the motions of lunch and cleaning, without the teacher telling them what to do.

After lunch, American teachers visited the school and observed classes in action.
(empty classes, can't post students...)



One room that I found really neat was a formal Japanese "sitting" room, with tatami mat, where children are taught proper manners, everything from formal tea ceremonies to eating meals. We also saw traditional Japanese toys stored in a book case.

PrincipalNaoto Matsumoto showing us the room:


The afternoon continued with more curriculum information and a presentation by Mr. Yukihiko Oikawa, Vice Principal and author of Mobius for Sustainability, a very interesting publication outlining Kesennuma's efforts for ESD. You can view this publication by clicking on Mobius for Sustainability.

Today will be difficult to top!

Our departure from Nakai (teachers and students waving goodbye):

Home Stay (June 26-27)

The shinkansen (bullet train) ride to Sendai was great! Clean, lots of leg room, and rotating seats so we could play cards! Elena from New Mexico had a visual perception game called “Set”—a great brain trainer! The trip was quick (fast speed train!); we arrived in Sendai to transfer to a chartered bus for the ride to Kesennuma. Lunch was a bento box (see June 24) in the bus. Once arrived in Kesennuma, we were welcomed by local city and education officials and then were introduced to our home stay families.

HOME STAY
Takayuki and Shio (father and 13 year old daughter) met me and introduced themselves. Takayuki had prepared an itinerary and shared the schedule of activities planned for my 24 hour home stay, written in Japanese and English. My first impression was that they seemed to understand my English if I spoke slowly and explained with hand gestures and as many synonyms as I could think of. Takayuki would sometimes use an electronic word translator when he got stuck on a word that neither he nor his daughter knew, but overall, we were communicating!

First stop: the ice museum! Located near Kesennuma’s fish market, this was a large freezer compartment in which many species of fish have been preserved in clear blocks of ice. We were given winter coats to walk through the museum. It was cool (literally!) to see the many fish and creatures from that part of the world, preserved as if in motion, some with their mouths open. This is Shio and I:


We then visited the Shark Museum. Interesting exhibition about various types of shark, including a petting pool—yes, I did pet a small baby shark. Other exhibitions included a sequence of antique scuba diving suits and a display of JAWS paraphernalia (1975 movie).

Our next activity was to see the view of Kesennuma from Mt. Amba. I had “dressed up” to meet my host family and still had my heeled shoes. I really didn’t realize we were going for a hike, thinking we were just driving up to a scenic view. My suitcase was still in the car (with my sneakers!), but by the time I realized what we were going to do, we were already up part of the mountain. So, I hiked Mt. Amba’s path with my high heals, in hot, humid weather, but the view from the top was unbelievable! Going up was not as bad as coming down in those shoes! I was very relieved to arrive to the car without having stumbled onto my hosts, who were leading the way.

The scenic view of Kesennuma from Mt. Amba:


We then went for “soft cream” gelato, a delicious soft ice cream cone. I chose vanilla, but the choices included green tea and sesame flavors.

We then went to Takayuki’s home, where I was introduced to Ryousuke (son, 15 years old) and Masaka (mom). Masaka did not want me to help with her dinner preparations, so Ryousuke and I sat around the kotasu, a rectangular table, low to the floor, in their Japanese style washitsu room, and chatted about school and World Cup. This room’s flooring was made with tatami mats, tightly woven straw or bamboo mats, and we sat on cushions. I made my first faux pas here, but no one showed me they noticed, and I eventually figured it out. As you know, upon entering homes, schools, temples, etc. we always remove our shoes in the entry foyer and put on slippers (I knew to do this!). I didn’t realize that we also remove our slippers on the tatami mat. I noticed that the parents were leaving their slippers at the door way to the room with tatami mats… the kids were barefoot throughout the house (some things are the same whether in Japan or the U.S.!) The son, Ryousuke understood English quite well and acted as a “help translator” for the family. Unlike his sister, he had a few more years of English language study under his belt, and he explained he had spent 2 weeks in Australia as part of a school program.

Dinner consisted of pork and beef cooked at the table, vegetables, rice, and a tasty sweet sauce.



After dinner, Masaka (the mom) sat with me while Takayuki (the dad) washed the dishes. There was no way they would allow me to help in the kitchen. Masaka asked what my sleep patterns are (what time I go to bed and get up) and she shared her schedule with me. I guess mothers’ schedules are the same regardless of what country we’re in! She too is up early to do some house chores, and then off to work, then back home to make dinner. She squeezes in errands when she can. She told me that on Sunday morning, she typically goes to the farmer’s market at 7AM. When she learned that I too am an early bird, she invited me to attend with her.

Masaka then described the bath schedule. In Japan, baths are taken at night and are quite different than in the U.S. The bathroom area where the bath is located usually includes an open shower in front of the bath. The entire room is enclosed like a giant shower stall with a sliding door. Bathing begins with a person sitting on a small stool, by the bath, rinsing, lathering, and rinsing with the shower hose. Then you are expected to slip into a bath (looks like our baths, only much deeper) for a few minutes. The bath water is prepared for you, is very hot, and is used again for each person after the guest’s bath. There is also a cover over the bath, to keep the water hot. Masaka scheduled my bath for 9PM, and then I went to bed, in a contemporary bedroom.

I was up at 6AM and could already smell something cooking in the kitchen. Masaka and I went to the farmer’s market where she purchased her vegetables for the next week and I purchased hand crafted souvenirs from an artisan.

Using an abacus for calculations:

Small, guppy-like fish, sold in "handy snack packs":

We returned home, had breakfast, consisting of rice, curried beef and vegetables. It was delicious, but I don’t think this is their typical breakfast. Masaka knew I don’t eat fish and adjusted her meals, which I truly appreciated.

Masaka and Takayuki (mom and dad) then brought me to Kesennuma’s fish market where I saw tons and tons of bonito fish. Unlike Tokyo’s fish market, a balcony walkway was available for viewing the market’s activities from above and there was no admission limit.


We then took a walk around the bay, visited a temple, and then went to the Rias Ark Museum, (interior was the shape of an ark), containing museum artifacts focusing on local culture, and a wide variety of art by some local artists. Masaka and Takayuki wanted me to see as much local culture as possible, and I truly appreciated their generosity.
Typical side street in Kesennuma. Streets are narrow and often one-way. Rounded mirrors can be found all over the place, forewarning if someone else is coming around a corner, in a one-way or narrow street.

Cars are mostly new and small. Many Hondas and Toyotas, in models not sold in the U.S.! Minivans and small trucks are cube shaped and look as if they have been compressed on all sides!

Afterward, we had lunch at a local restaurant, and returned to the house to pick up Shio (daughter) and drop off Masaka, who had chores to do. Ryousuke (son) was gone to tennis practice. I asked Takayuki if there was a 100 Yen store in Kesennuma (dollar store), and he brought me to a local store where I purchased souvenirs (chopsticks and Japanese candy for my kids).

We then visited Hamanasu Station, Rikuchu-Kaigan National Park, and another fish museum and gift store before heading back to the house to gather my luggage and say our good byes.

Check out the shape of this sunfish (about 24-30 inches long):

Snack bar at the ocean park, selling squid (Squid and coke, anyone?):

Like Bar Harbor's Thunder Hole, but in Japan!

Though home stays usually raise our anxiety levels before they happen (Who will I stay with? What kind of food will I eat? Where will I sleep? Will I be able to communicate?), they usually end up being the most memorable part of a trip. Getting to know a family, even if only for a short 24-hour period , who opens their home to you and goes out of their way to offer a taste of the local culture is very heart-warming and it was difficult to say good bye. My home stay family made me very comfortable. At the drop off, I felt like giving them a hug, but that would not have been very Japanese-like, so I bowed and said “arigato”, and then waved from the door until they were gone.

Time Zones

It's Monday morning here in Kesennuma. A rainy Monday morning. We've been warned over and over that this is Japan's rainy season, or tsuyu, but we've actually had great weather so far. A bit of rain at Narito airport at arrival last week, a bit last night, and drizzle/fog today. Otherwise, we have had HOT and HUMID weather--it was 36 Celsius Saturday (99 F)!

Still can't upload pics. Oh well, off to get ready for a school visit to Nakai Elementary School. NES is developing and implementing Global Learning as a pilot school. They also promote ESD with their community and are acknowledged as a UNESCO school. [ UNESCO = United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]

To Kesennuma

We left Tokyo on Saturday morning, taking the shinkansen (bullet train) to Sendai Station, then a chartered bus to Kesennuma, our destination for the home stay and several school visits. It was nice to see the countryside while traveling--lots of rice fields!

It's now Sunday night, I've completed the homestay, am back at the hotel with internet service, but I'm attempting to upload some pictures and update posts with great difficulty. The bullet train picture took over 5 min. to load, and I haven't been able to add any other picture. I've got lots to say and show, but it will have to wait. I will return to Tokyo on Friday, July 2 and will have many posts/pics to upload by then if the internet speed doesn't improve here at Pearl City Hotel.

Fish Market and School Visit #1

FISH MARKET: Four of us early birds departed the hotel at 3:30AM via taxi for Tsukiji Fish Market. After we had paid our fair and the taxi driver had dropped us off, he got out of his car and verified with a shop owner if we were at the right place for the fish auction. He talked to at least 3 different people (in Japanese, of course), asking for directions, then attempted to translate for us. In the end, he had us get back in the car to bring us directly to the gate, at no charge. He must have spent an extra 10-15 min. just trying to ensure that we were at the right place. This has been typical of the way the Japanese treat foreigners and each other: with kindness. They want to ensure that everyone is comfortable and taken care of. I could not imagine a NYC cabbie, taking the time to do this, for free!

We arrived at the fish market at the perfect time: they allow only 140 people to enter, in two separate groups, and we made it in the first 70. After a short wait, we were lead through the market to a designated area, to watch how the buyers determine which fish they want to make bids on. I have video clips on this, but for now, I'll just post a few pictures of tuna.


SUBWAY: On our way home, we decided to take the subway as another adventure. I'm very comfortable with subway systems in Montreal and Boston, but these two do not even begin to compare to Tokyo's HUGE web of various subway and train lines. With 2-3 maps, cryptic directions from a metro guard, and our own deductions, we made it to the hotel in time for breakfast and the day's activities.

WORLD CUP: At about 6AM, on our way back to the hotel, we ran into a group of young people out celebrating Japan's World Cup soccer win against Denmark, 3-1. I'm certain there were many Japanese up at 3AM, watching this game!


TRAVEL GROUPS: The group of 48 teachers is divided into 3 groups that will each visit a different area of Japan in the next few days. I am part of the Kesennuma Group.

SCHOOL VISIT: Today, the Kessenuma group visited Jr. & Sr. High at Komaba, a public school affiliated with the University of Tsukuba. This school is designated as a "super science school" by the Japanese Ministry of Education, focusing on math and science education, and encompassing 6 years: gr. 7-9 (360 students, all male) and gr. 10-12 (480 students, all male).

Upon entering a home or school in Japan, one must remove his/her "street" shoes and wear slippers, maintaining the delineation between "dirty" (outside) and "clean" surfaces. The school had slippers handy for the American teachers:


After a brief introduction to the school, we attended a few classes: chemistry and English. In chemistry, students were doing a lab on the percent composition of a hydrate and in English, the teacher allowed a Q & A period for her students. Both classes consisted of 40 students (!), as do most of the other classes. We were impressed with how well students spoke English.

Due to privacy rules, I can't post pictures of students, but a few below are obscure enough:



A Periodic Table written in Japanese:


A group of four students, winners of the Imagine Cup for Japan, practiced their presentation for the American teachers. These students will be traveling to Warsaw Poland next week for the world competition, all sponsored by Microsoft. I can't tell you about their project--it's a secret--but I can say that the teachers were impressed with the creativity exhibited by these students.

BENTO BOXES: Lunch consisted of bento boxes, single portion meals consisting of a variety of colorful items, arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Traditional bento boxes are lacquered and reusable, and are usually filled with rice, fish, meat, and one or more cooked or pickled vegetables. Our bento boxes were disposable cardboard, but were nonetheless beautifully arranged. The pickling and amount of salt in some of the items does take some getting used to, as does eating with chopsticks. I am still having difficulty with that!

Bento (with various fish):


Bento sans fish for me:

We then visited the green house and garden area where students are cultivating potatoes and growing rice seedlings for the local paddies.



We finished the afternoon by visiting the Tokyo Water Science Museum.

It's been a great day, but I'm too tired to post anything else! We're moving out of the hotel tomorrow morning and heading out to our individual towns. I'm in the Kesennuma group and we'll be taking a train ride to our destination. My host family will be meeting me in the afternoon. Fun, fun!