miscellaneous

After coming back from our trip to China I had a very busy time, in fact I am still quite busy.
A new term started and like in September and January new classes were put together. My new class is very well mixed in terms of Nationalities.
In my actual class the students come from Korea, Taiwan, one girl from Italy, one from Holland and me.
From 15 people there are only three males and I think that is one of the reasons why there seems to be a very good attitude to work.

Two weeks ago I watched such a heavy storm with rain and strong winds that I think our building was shaking a little bit which only happens in the occasional case of an earthquake.

The storm was so intense that it might as well have been a typhoon (jap. 台風 - taifuu).

This weekend I was occupied with learning for the “ookii tesuto” - the big Unit Test - which every class has to go through after they have finished one book, every two or three months.

In Japan and Mainland China the first week of May is called the “Golden Week”. At this time of the year there are several holidays and only two work days.

You might have heard the prejudice that Japanese employees are very loyal to their company and do not take off a day very often. Therefore the Golden Week is a good opportunity for them, and most workers try to take off the two remaining working days to be able to go on a one week trip. Hence, the travel expenses are very high and one has to book months ahead.

The Unit Test was in the middle of the Golden Week, the written exams on Tuesday, the oral one on Wednesday.

On Wednesday it was also my godmother’s birthday, and we had dinner in a very smart Italian restaurant on the 47th floor in Shiodome Building, near the famous fish market. Thanks to the clear weather we had a great view over the city.

It happened that Johnnie Walker was there, too. It was not the whisky Johnnie Walker but a very famous Japanese artist. One of the protagonists in Haruki Murakami’s novel “Kafka on the Shore” is named after him. In the novel this character catches cats and eats their hearts, but the real Johnnie Walker is nevertheless very proud that his name is used.

In this picture you can see his reflection in the windows.

Due to the high travel costs I did not go everywhere but stayed in Tokyo.
With a few people from my school, I watched a football match, the first football match I have seen in Japan so far.

Tokyo played against Kashima (鹿島 – deer island).

The match itself was not very different from the ones I had seen in Stuttgart but it was the fans and the general mood which were different. To excite the fans, Japanese drums (taiko drums) were used, and the cheering for one’s favourite team was much more civilized and controlled.

Another night I went to a BBQ which was a little bit risky since the smell and the noise can easily disturb the neighbours. But unlike like last Saturday, nobody called the police.

On Sunday Yuka, a Japanese friend, and I went to a Natural History Museum in Ueno. There were a lot of families and hundreds of children and only then we realized that it was a museum for children. It then occurred to us that it was May 5^th: children’s day (子供の日 - kodomo no hi).

The museum was very educational, it told a lot about earthquakes and the development of the population and the natural history of Japan. There was an exhibition about dinosaurs, and when I caught sight of these two baby dinos, I had to bite my tongue not to exclaim the favourite word “kawaii” (“cute”) which I use very frequently since living in Japan.

On Saturday, a guy from my school hold a home party, and from half past ten p.m. all the Germans were watching Bundesliga, more or less emotionally.

Last night my godmother and our current guests went to an artist party, held monthly in the nice Italian restaurant I spoke of earlier. It was magical and I took pictures of the city.

And there is one more last thing to say:

From tomorrow on the yearly photographic competition of the OAG (East Asian Company) starts. The topic is “Japan beschäftigt” (either “Japan busy” or “Japan keeps you busy“). You can have a look at all the pictures and vote for your favourite ones.

I have sent pictures in, too, but I am not going to tell you which pictures are mine because I do not want to be solicitous of your votes…

So enjoy the pictures and have a nice week!

Katha