Shhh! I Can Hear Your Breathing: Notice for Silence at Leo Palace Apartment

In Japan, silence is the best policy. It's like Japan is enveloped in a quiet hush and muffled atmosphere. It is not surprising then that one of the policies when renting an apartment is not to make disturbing noises. Once neighbors complain about your noises, the apartment owner has the right to expel you. This sounds fair enough on the surface. The problem is, the Leo Palace Apartments (one of the largest rental apartments company in Japan) has paper-thin walls. 

facade of Leo Palace Apartments
photo credit: http://www.accessj.com/2011/12/living-in-leopalace-apartment.html

In my Leo Palace Apartment, I can hear my neighbors':

• chatting every night just before they sleep
• washing machine on Friday mornings
• flushing of the toilet bowl
• showers in the early evening
• early morning noises and late-evening "couple" noises 
• visitors almost every weekend
• arrival on the wee hours every Saturday morning

Obviously, I have memorized their routine just by hearing their noises. I don't listen to them intentionally. With the thin walls, it's not hard not to hear. I don't complain about their noises since I know they are not intentionally making noises. They are just trying to live and the noises that they make are part of that. 

Then a notice from Leo Palace was popped in my mailbox a few weeks ago. It was in Japanese so I asked a friend to translate it for me. The notice was a reminder to be quiet at night because there were several complaints. All tenants received that notice so I didn't feel bad but what struck me is how intolerant some people are. 

I've been living in my place for 7 months already and every night is dead quiet. I cannot hear anything except my neighbors. And the noises that they make are understandable. I'm pretty sure that they can also hear me flush, shower, cook, talk and wash. But apart from noises of a normal human being, there was no disturbing noise in the building. I checked with two other tenants who live in different floors if there are too loud noises. They said they don't hear anything disturbing. Perhaps those who complained have sonar ears or live their lives "eavesdropping," literally. 

I also remembered another tenant who is a single mother that I befriended left the apartment building. She has a 2 year old baby. They live in the first floor at the cornermost portion. She has no immediate neighbor. The apartment beside her is empty but she still got complaints of her baby's cries. She had to go. I have heard her baby cry but it was just so seldom. It wasn't an everyday concert. 

Another friend who lived in another Leo Palace Apartment got a kick on her door when she invited a few people in her place. She seldom hosts a party and it wasn't even in full blast- just chattering. In the midst of their talking, a loud thump was heard from her door. A shoe mark explained what happened. 

Then there's a story of a couple who lived in the Leo Palace Apartment building just behind mine's decided to transfer. One of their neighbors talked to them twice regarding their babies noise. The neighbor wasn't even next to them. 

So essentially, I think some of Japanese here need to realize that noise is part of living. I would be more scared if I know I have neighbors then I don't hear anything. Also, it's so obvious that Leo Palace's walls cannot contain noise. No matter how quiet you are, the materials used in these apartments are not solid enough and sound-proof. So for those who are too sound-sensitive, they should be the ones who leave. They don't have the right to stop other people from living. 

Songs in the Japanese Classroom

For the last school months, the third year have been singing Call Me Maybe, California Girls, Bad Day, It's My Life, and We are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together. And now we are going to sing Bad Reputation (by Avril Lavigne) for this month. These songs are not just random songs that students hum to themselves during break times. These are songs that the Japanese English Teacher chose to be studied and sang in the classroom.

Avril Lavigne and her "Bad Reputation"
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/renato_rei/2382172659/

Some Japanese English teachers (JTE's) use songs as warm-up in English classes. They use songs as a mean to "expose" students to English not knowing that they are exposing the students to much more. At the beginning of each month, a new song will be introduced in class. The students will be given lyric sheets with a translated version in Japanese. The lyric sheets also have a brief profile of the artist. The students will listen to the song for the first time. After that, I (the ALT) would be reading the lyrics so the students would know how to pronounce them. Then the students will listen again and sing along with the song. And everyday, for a month, they will start the class with the "Song of the Month."

(More on Japanese Schools, here.)

I silently find the choice of songs ridiculous. When we started singing California Girls, I tried to talk to the JTE. She said that students like Katy Perry. I told her that Katy Perry has other songs. I would have loved to add "wholesome" songs but I don't think she would understand. In the end, we all sang California Girls with all its sexual innuendos. And everytime the lyrics "Sex on the beach..." would play, the boys would look at each other knowingly. And the teacher? She just keeps on looking at the lyric sheet singing mindlessly. I don't think she even understands the song. I would cringe if she did and still insist on playing it.

Then there's the "Call Me Maybe" month. The boys got curious and told me they watch the official video of MTV. They asked why "Call Me Maybe." I directly told them it was about flirting and they were like "Hontoni? Really?" And after that, they would giggle everytime we sing the song. I mean, what do they expect me to say? The least I can do is inform them.

Then Taylor Swift began playing for a month with "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." One of the boys asked the JTE why they are singing the song. It was so gay he said. The JTE just said that his classmates like Taylor Swift. And the other boys rolled their eyes blurting in their minds "Hontoni? Really?" One of the boys asked me again what it was about. I told them it was a break-up song. They can't relate to it    when even having a crush seem to be a repulsive idea to them (or so it seems.)

And now this month, the JTE would subject us to Avril's "Bad Reputatation." She can't even sing it since the rhythm is too fast. The boys asked me again what the song is about. I told them that the song is not caring about what other people say even if you have a bad image. And again they were like "If that's the case, why are we singing this song again?" Japanese are known for protecting their images and caring what other people say so I can understand their reaction.

Well, what the boys don't know is that I am also asking the same thing "We are in the school so why are we singing these songs...again and again?"

Masked Men... and Women: The Influenza Virus in Japanese Public Schools

Two Wednesdays ago, I was puzzled why it seems almost all the teachers have surgical masks. In the classrooms, almost all the students also have masks. I actually felt left out for not wearing one. I found out later that day that there's an influenza epidemic all throughout Japan. Even U.S. and Korea are also on high alert for the epidemic. And this happens almost every winter time. Winter season is flu season.

photo credit: http://vanfullofcandy.wordpress.com/category/end-of-the-world/

Schools closely monitor the spread of virus much in the same way how the Philippines monitor dengue. Students are highly-encouraged to wear masks. Because almost everyone has a mask, I don't need one. A teacher is also assigned to monitor students who are absent because of flu. There's a graph in the teacher's room that charts the number of influenza victims. Then there's rubbing alcohol in all classrooms. Rubbing alcohol is not common in Japan so I was surprised that rubbing alcohol seems to be just everywhere in the school. In some extreme cases when there are too many influenza victims, a class, a grade level or even a whole school can will be suspended for a week or two. This is to stop the spread of virus. 

(How to use the National Health Card, here)

Interestingly, most students and teachers in my school do not have flu shots. I've asked almost all the teachers and just about 2 out of 40+ teachers got flu shots. The vice-principal said that flu shots are too expensive. I had one before I came to Japan so I guess it's keeping me healthy. Also, they are not fond of taking Vitamin C's. No wonder the virus spreads rapidly. 

I would have also worn a mask for protection. But with almost all the people around me wearing one, I don't think I need to.