I'm in a New Japanese Schoool

Classes have started last Monday and I'm now in my new school. (For an explanation of why I changed schools, just read my post Changing Schools in Japan.) Thankfully, I'm with a private company and not with the Board of Education so I can make an appeal to what kind of school I prefer to work in. Initially, I was assigned to teach in a junior high school, 2 elementary schools and 2 kindergarten. The kindergarten got me and I can't really imagine myself teaching small kids. I talked to the boss and pleaded to consider assigning to just one big junior high school. My wish was granted. Yay! The previous ALT in my new school is also a dear friend. He gave me tips on how to adapt into the school.

No Speech

This is how it feels when I give a speech in school assemblies.
credit: http://www.shutterstock.com/

As I've said, classes started last Monday. I was introduced to during the "welcome back" ceremony for the 2nd and 3rd years and the "welcome to JHS" for the first years. I didn't have to give a speech. Yay again! Some schools ask the new teachers to give a short speech to introduce themselves. I don't like doing this cause I feel nobody's really listening to me. The moment students hear English, they just shut off and will just wait for the translation. I can, of course, prepare my speech in Japanese but there's the danger of making the students assume that I can speak Japanese. (I did that last year and it took a while before I made the students realize that I only spoke Japanese for that rare moment.)

No Class

Though classes have started last Monday, the entire week was just filled with general assemblies and orientation activities. There was an orientation on classroom operation, discipline and behavior on Tuesday. Student health check happened last Wednesday. More orientation yesterday. Today, there's still classroom-based orientation. Basically, I'm just either at the gym or at my table. No classes this week. The thing with these orientations is this: Everyone knows it except you, the ALT. Nobody told me to go to the gym and attend the assemblies. I just figured that maybe there's a secret meeting cause all the teachers and even the principal and vice-principal are gone from the staff room. When the ALT is left alone in the staff room, it means all people are in the gym. I don't why they hide these meetings from me. It's not like I wouldn't find out. 

No Work

Since nothing really big happened this week in the school, I have no issues. One reason could be because it's already my third year as an ALT. I'm more comfortable and less self-conscious in the school environment. More or less, I know what to do to adapt in the school system. I can also figure out what to do during my tons of free time. (Suggestions: blog, roam around the school, visit the school clinic, read a book, prepare your lessons, list down ideas, get the people's names, attend clubs) I can also understand a little Japanese so I can carry small conversations with "I-can't-speak-English" teachers. So yeah, being on my third year has definitely its perks!

No Issue...So Far

Another reason is the friendliness of the teachers. I don't mean to compare but I can't help it. Most of the teachers in my new school are warmer and more open. The Japanese teacher across my table initiated conversations during lunch. A couple of teachers always make sure I'm okay and never fails to smile at me. One teacher invited to attend her shogi club. The foreign assistant teacher talked to me in English several times. The first year teachers included me during the first year orientation activity. The vice-principal also made sure that I have lunch on the first day. One of the secretaries taught me how to print in color and in black and white. Simply put, the people seemed nicer and kinder. 

Friendly indeed!
credit: http://www.lifeaftertheboe.com/manga/2010/08/16/your-name/

Actually, it has been said over and over by hundreds of ALT's that the further the schools are from the city, the warmer the school atmosphere. My new school is almost an hour away from the city center. This is so much further compared to my previous school which is in the city. Stereotypical as it may sound, it seemed there's some truth in the further- warmer thing. I was reminded how nice the teachers are in Morioka City, Iwate. (That's up up north almost near Hokkaido.) I stayed there for 2 weeks in my first year. The place was so rural but the people are so sociable and pleasant. Every morning, they'd ask if I want tea or coffee. They chat with me in broken English.This is the opposite of the formality of the teachers in Tokyo and in my previous school. As a foreigner, I really appreciate the pleasantness of the teachers in my new school. Never mind the daily 1 1/2 travel to work.  

(More on tips in working in Japanese schools here)

Classes have started last Monday and now it's Friday. I survived this week. It wasn't so bad. Actually, the week turned out better than I anticipated. I'm looking forward to a great school year! 

Wanted: English Speakers

Just before the spring break ended, I visited Kamakura with a friend. Kamakura is this place in Kanagawa Prefecture with the biggest buddha in Japan. It's a popular tourist place since it's just near from Tokyo and Yokohama. There's also a nice island there called Enoshima with a lot of things to do. We've only seen the Great Buddha or Daibutsu though. No time to see Enoshima but people are saying great things about it.

The Great Buddha at Kamakura
(Daibutsu)

Well anyway, on our way to see Daibutsu an old Japanese man with a bicycle suddenly stopped us. We were on a crowded street so we didn't panic or felt afraid. We were just taken aback by the suddenness of his appearance in front of us.

Japanese Man:  Excuse me, can you speak English? 
My friend and I:Yes, we can. 
Japanese Man:  Okay good. 

(He reached something from his bicycle basket and handed a scrap-bookish letter to us.)

The old Japanese man's letter

He just wants to correspond with an English speaker. He said he doesn't know a lot of English speaking people here in Japan. It would have been personally creepy to me if he's younger but he's grandfatherish old so I'm more open to corresponding with him. I have yet to post my first letter to him though. I'm just thinking if it's smart to put my home address. If I don't, it would be just me sending posts. If I do, I don't think it's safe and wise. So I don't know yet.

Sakura-lined street leading to Hachimangu Shrine at Kamakura

Garden pond at Hachimangu Shrine, Kamakura

That encounter with that old man was the strangest part of the trip until we got on the train on our way home. In one of the stops, another old Japanese man with a briefcase sat beside me. He slept for the first 20 minutes while my friend and I chattered the trip away. Then, he just suddenly talked in clear perfect English.

Another old Japanese Man:    Excuse me, I have a question. 
My friend an I:                        Sure. 
Another old Japanese Man:   (Asked a question related to grammar which 
                                                               is too long to put here. )

His question is actually not a question but an anecdote. We listened to him anyway. We welcome the break from each other's endless chatter. Then from that question, my friend and I began to have a conversation with this another old Japanese man.

We learned that he lives in Shimada and that he works for Shizuoka Tourism Office. He also lived in the US for almost 15 years. He lived in Chicago and LA. He also shared that he had always love speaking in English and he even won a speech contest in Junior High School. The most interesting thing about him is that his real name was used in a James Bond book. That book hasn't been made into a movie yet but the title is Man with Red Tattoo. He's one of the main Japanese characters in that book.

The Man with the Red Tattoo cover
credit: http://www.japanreview.net/review_james_bond.htm

That man didn't stop talking to us until he reached his stop. He also handed us his business card just in case we'll drop by at Shimada or Shizuoka. He said he's happy to have met us. It's a rare chance for him to speak in English. He'll be happy to see us again. We're happy that we've made someone happy just by speaking English.  Perfect way to end the day.

Going to the Hairdresser in Japan

I can't put this off any longer. Something has to be done soon. I just can't close my eyes to this and pretend that everything will be alright. No, my hair is definitely out of shape and I already need to get a haircut!

I feel for you kid! I know exactly how you feel about your hair. ^_^
credit: http://beautyeditor.ca

I haven't visited a hairdresser in Japan for the 18 months that I was living here. Why? It's so freaking expensive! The average cost for a haircut with considerable style is 4,000 Yen. I can't help but convert it to my home currency which is equivalent to 2,000 pesos. In the Philippines, my hair would have already been permed, straightened or treated with that amount. When I came to Japan, I learned to cut and treat my own hair. (Thanks to Youtube!) But then, my hands and skills are only limited to maintaining my current hairstyle. Eventually, I just have to go to the hairdresser. No escaping it, unfortunately.

Earth Hairdressing
credit: http://blog.gappt.com/

A friend recommended a salon near AEON Ichino. It's cheaper than most salons. Cost is 2,500 Yen for a haircut. The salon's name is Earth. I think this salon is a chain cause I remember seeing a similar one around Hamamatsu Station.

When going to the hairdresser in Japan...

1. Make reservations. 
Thankfully, my friend did this for me. She was also going to have a haircut so she was the one who called the salon. Making reservations is better than walking in. If the salon is full, you'll have to wait for a vacancy if you just walked in. Also, some salons are by appointments only. The staff in Earth salon has limited English skills. You might want to ask a Japanese friend to help you make reservations. Better yet, have a Japanese-speaking person go with you.

2. Don't take the prices at face value
My friend and I thought that the 2,500 Yen was all that we're going to pay. That's how it is in our home countries. (She's from the UK.) Then a personnel handed us a list of stylists with their rankings. Aside from the 2500, we have to pay our stylist. The highest costs 2,500 Yen while the lowest was 500 Yen. We both got the lowest. I personally find this weird. If we're the paying the stylist with additional fee, what's the 2500 Yen for? The cheap shampoo? The chair we sat on? The cup of tea served which I didn't ask? The bag locker which is not necessary? I don't know. It just doesn't make sense to me. But anyway, make sure you have additional cash with you.

My first visit to a Japanese hairdresser

3. Take a picture of the hairstyle you want  
I anticipated that explaining the hairstyle I want would be problematic so I took a picture of what I exactly wanted. It was a big help cause I didn't have to explain anything. I just pointed at the picture and told him "Onagi, onegaishimasu" (The same, please.) Saved us time!

This is the picture I've shown.
credit: http://haircutsall.blogspot.jp/2013/08/hairstyle-with-side-bangs.html

4. Relax and enjoy
Because this is a Japanese salon, customer service was superb. My friend and I were tentative at first but the staff was courteous and helpful. As soon as we walked in the salon, somebody helped me with my coat, somebody kept my umbrella for me, somebody served us with tea and somebody helped us keep our bags in a locker. It was royalty treatment.

After that, we were led to our seats. Then we had to fill up a form with our names, address, telephone number and birthday. (I don't know what they're going to do with that info.) They're helpful enough to explain to me what info should I write in what box. We were then asked to choose our stylist. Shampoo came afterwards then the haircut, finally!

Honestly, I find the whole experience long. I just need a simple haircut which would normally take less than an hour back in the Philippines. It took about almost 2 hours here in Japan. I don't know why. My friend said that we should just enjoy the whole thing. It's not often that we go to the salon here.

Selfie with my new hair.
I think the stylist got it right. 

So after almost two hours, I got out of the salon feeling like a new person. I liked my shorter hair. The staff waved us off goodbye as if we're friends. Never mind the money and the minutes, a girl has to feel beautiful sometimes!


PS: On my way home, I met two friends. I told them I went to the salon. They asked me how much I paid. When they learned about it, they told me there's a cheaper salon in a nearer place with English-speaking staff. I stopped them from more elaboration cause it would ruin my experience. I'll just give it a try next time.


See Related Articles on Japanese Hair Salons: 

How To: Find a Hair Salon in Japan

Visiting Hair Salon in Tokyo

Japan Goal: Hair Salons

Mysteries of the Hair Salon Revealed