Monday, October 20, 2008
This morning we visited the University of Nagasaki. The University is celebrating the fact that a staff member has just been awarded the Nobel Peace prize. We were welcomed by the President of the University, and then Kathy Smith from our group gave a welcoming address.
The University is a research based facility, with an emphasis on fisheries, engineering, and science. There are very few foreign students, about 300, and only a handful from the states. We were a novelty, and got much attention during our stay.
My favorite part of the morning was a discussion with Japanese pre-service teachers. They were very willing to try out their English with us, for which I was grateful, because using an interpreter is so unnatural. When asked about the US, most of them would talk about California. When asked about a famous person, they would talk about Barack Obama.
There is a survey that says that the Japanese are actually MORE interested in our election than we are. When talking to the Japanese in our hotels, they are always up on the issues, they are listening to the debates, putting in their two cents. Apparently 70% of the Japanese are following the US election, while only 47% of US citizens are following the election – they are more educated to vote than most of our public!
This afternoon we finally arrived in our host city of Unzen. The view is breathtaking – reminds me of Highway 1 in California on the coastline – rocky cliffs jutting off to the ocean. It is warm, a rain forest atmosphere, and the city of Unzen is nestled in between mountains. It is right out of a movie. The houses are quaint rather than the industrialized apartments and skyscrapers of Tokyo. There is steam rising from all of the streams and duct work in the city. We’re sitting on top of a volcano. Tomorrow we will actually have an opportunity to tour the volcano.
When we arrived in Unzen we were taken to City Hall, where we were welcomed by the mayor of the city and the superintendants of education. We all introduced ourselves. It was a little awkward because we had to completely rely on an interpretor to talk, and the presentations were brief. They wanted to have a question and answer session, and we were not told that they would be doing this, so we were coming up with questions off the cuff. We are going to really prepare for our meetings for tomorrow to avoid the uneasy silence…
Our hotel turns out to be very nice instead of what we had envisioned. I got really lucky! I have a suite – so everyone is hanging out in my room this week. I have four rooms – a living room, western bedroom, Japanese tatami (bedroom) – and a bathroom with just a toilet, no shower. We are using a community bath – that has taken some getting used to, and no I didn’t take any photos, but you basically wash yourself under a hand held showers, and then the ‘bath’ is a soak in a large hot tub – 115 degrees, that is outside amongst rocks and gardens. Everyone gets in the same water, and you try to only have your head sticking out - it’s the getting in and out that is particularly uncomfortable. (to say the least, however the Japanese are very used to it and aren’t having a modesty issue).
I slept on a japanese bed on a tatami mat because I wanted to experience it. A little harder than your standard mattress, but not at all uncomfortable. For the first time I am finally sleeping more than 3 hours a night. I don’t know if it was nerves or the time change, but I had gone weeks without sleep, and I’m hoping I’m over that point now.
This morning we visited the University of Nagasaki. The University is celebrating the fact that a staff member has just been awarded the Nobel Peace prize. We were welcomed by the President of the University, and then Kathy Smith from our group gave a welcoming address.
The University is a research based facility, with an emphasis on fisheries, engineering, and science. There are very few foreign students, about 300, and only a handful from the states. We were a novelty, and got much attention during our stay.
My favorite part of the morning was a discussion with Japanese pre-service teachers. They were very willing to try out their English with us, for which I was grateful, because using an interpreter is so unnatural. When asked about the US, most of them would talk about California. When asked about a famous person, they would talk about Barack Obama.
There is a survey that says that the Japanese are actually MORE interested in our election than we are. When talking to the Japanese in our hotels, they are always up on the issues, they are listening to the debates, putting in their two cents. Apparently 70% of the Japanese are following the US election, while only 47% of US citizens are following the election – they are more educated to vote than most of our public!
This afternoon we finally arrived in our host city of Unzen. The view is breathtaking – reminds me of Highway 1 in California on the coastline – rocky cliffs jutting off to the ocean. It is warm, a rain forest atmosphere, and the city of Unzen is nestled in between mountains. It is right out of a movie. The houses are quaint rather than the industrialized apartments and skyscrapers of Tokyo. There is steam rising from all of the streams and duct work in the city. We’re sitting on top of a volcano. Tomorrow we will actually have an opportunity to tour the volcano.
When we arrived in Unzen we were taken to City Hall, where we were welcomed by the mayor of the city and the superintendants of education. We all introduced ourselves. It was a little awkward because we had to completely rely on an interpretor to talk, and the presentations were brief. They wanted to have a question and answer session, and we were not told that they would be doing this, so we were coming up with questions off the cuff. We are going to really prepare for our meetings for tomorrow to avoid the uneasy silence…
Our hotel turns out to be very nice instead of what we had envisioned. I got really lucky! I have a suite – so everyone is hanging out in my room this week. I have four rooms – a living room, western bedroom, Japanese tatami (bedroom) – and a bathroom with just a toilet, no shower. We are using a community bath – that has taken some getting used to, and no I didn’t take any photos, but you basically wash yourself under a hand held showers, and then the ‘bath’ is a soak in a large hot tub – 115 degrees, that is outside amongst rocks and gardens. Everyone gets in the same water, and you try to only have your head sticking out - it’s the getting in and out that is particularly uncomfortable. (to say the least, however the Japanese are very used to it and aren’t having a modesty issue).
I slept on a japanese bed on a tatami mat because I wanted to experience it. A little harder than your standard mattress, but not at all uncomfortable. For the first time I am finally sleeping more than 3 hours a night. I don’t know if it was nerves or the time change, but I had gone weeks without sleep, and I’m hoping I’m over that point now.
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