Mrs. Schwiebert's Fulbright Japan Adventure!

Thoughts about Japan!!!

2005-11-17T15:10:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that I have been back home for three weeks. Lots of thoughts and memories are still fresh in my mind. I'm posting this picture, again, because it was truly one of my favorite memories - talking to a group of young, high school men, who were my son's age. We talked about peace, and war, and dreams for the future. These young men have wonderful lives ahead of them - my hope and prayer is that all the young men and women of our world - have peaceful lives ahead of them.

Plans for my future include working with my homeroom students to write and create a multi-media presentation all about Japan. We are going to put together a presentation about Japan - it's culture, people, and education. We are going to learn a Japanese dance - the Kawasaki. We are going to take our presentation "on the road" and share our knowledge and insights with people at our school, our district, and our town. Stay tuned - exciting things are still to come!!!

Home to Edmond!!!

2005-10-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

This was the last picture I took in Japan. These are my bags, left outside my hotel room, to be taken to the airport. Because we crossed the International Date Line, I lived through 2 Thursdays!!! It was the never-ending Thursday because I ended up being up for over 24 hours straight. The trip back took about 11 and 1/2 hours, then a few hours at the Chicago airport, then home to Oklahoma. My wonderful daughter, Kristin, met me at the airport and brought me home. I have missed my family, friends, and students very much. I have had the experience of a life-time, but it is so good to be home. I hope to share more of this amazing experience with my students in the coming weeks. Sayonnara!!

Interesting Pictures!

2005-10-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

The first picture is of me at the sample food factory - the bowl of soup I am holding is not real!!! It looks so realistic, though, I had to take a picture. Also, notice the poster in the background - it is advertising the Gujo Dance Festival. I bought one just like it for our classroom. The second picture needs to be clicked on and then see if you can see the name of the car. The third picture is the GPS device in Yoshinori's car. You can push a button and it turns into an in-dash TV!!!!!!!!

Okay, I am NOT making this up!!!

2005-10-28T22:10:00.000-07:00

Please look closely at this sign. There were 2 or 3 of these posted on the highway to Gujo. We asked our guide, Ishi, what they meant. She told us that this area has wild monkeys and that this is a warning to watch for wild monkeys!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you think the state of Oklahoma should put up signs like this around the highway near Camp Classen????????

Gujo Physical Education Field Day!

2005-10-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

On the Sunday of my home stay, the family took me to a Physical Education Day at one of the local schools. About 7 different schools participated and the festivities included children and adults. As I was quietly watching the proceedings, one of the older gentlemen walked over to me, took my hand, and invited me to join his team ( all this was conveyed without a word being exchanged!). It was then that I realized I was part of the balloon squishing team!! The proud sign of victory you see is me celebrating the fact that I ran the length of the field, put my balloon on a chair, SAT on it, and squished it FASTER than the gentleman from the other team. MY TEAM WON!!! I got to high-five my whole team!!! The other pictures are of the children's race, Ikaho and her friends, the tug-of-war, and tama-ire ( a game where 2 large baskets are set at the top of poles. Red and white compete with each other to see which team can throw the most balls into the baskets). My team did not do as well with tama-ire! It was a great day and the rain only added to the fun!

What's For Dinner?

2005-10-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

At my host family home, I was treated to suki-yaki. Yoko made this dish from scratch. It is beef, bean curd, vegetables, shirataki (gelatin-like) noodles, cooked in an iron pan with soy sauce, and served with raw egg. DELICIOUS!!!!

My Calligraphy Experience!

2005-10-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

Little did I know that when I went up these narrow steps, I was entering the world of a master calligrapher!! My host family had arranged for me to take a calligraphy lesson with their daughter, Yoriko. This calligraphy teacher was masterful, and it was a pleasure to work with him. As we were getting ready to leave, Hiroko, told him who I was and that I was there with a teacher program. He got right to work and made 2 amazing calligraphies for me. I assured him that his work would find an honored place in my home in Oklahoma!

Gujo High School

2005-10-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Gujo High School was started in 1918 as a girls' school and is currently celebrating its' 87th year. It's primary purpose is to develop a school trusted by its community. The school saying is, "Enduring the Frost", which was loosely translated for us, which means " to fully utilize one's own unique qulities to accomplish one's goals." The high school has 4 strands of study:

1. regular - which is the hardest
2. general - which has a little more latitude
3. forestry science - boys only
4. food distribution

I found the students to be serious about their work, very friendly, and happy to share their usage of English. All students wear uniforms, and the majority of students plan to go on to private or national universities in Japan.

Gujo High School

2005-10-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

One of my most memorable moments was in the classroom of the handsome, young men pictured here. The teacher spoke very good English and invited a few U.S. teachers who were observing to speak to these young men. I asked how old they were and several of them were my son, Matthew's, age - 17. I spoke to them from a mother's heart - that my wish for them was for a world with no more war and that they and my son could grow up to live their lives in a world of peace. I shared that I thought programs like the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund were a wonderful way to get people from other parts of our world to meet. I shared that it is much, much harder to go to war with people once you have looked into their eyes. I found these young men very respectful and I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet them all. Thank you, sensei, for inviting me to talk with your class.

My Host Family's Home!!!!!!!!

2005-10-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the beautiful home of my host family. This home has been in this family for over 100 years. The home is located about 20 minutes outside of the town, up a mountain road, surrounded by beautiful trees. I feel honored to have been a guest in this home.

Pictures of my Host Family!!

2005-10-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

While I was in Gujo, I was having some trouble with my camera, but I finally was able to download my pictures of my host family!! Meet the Furuhashi Family! Yoshinori is a Vice-Principal at the Junior High and his wife, Yoko is an elementary school teacher. Daughter, Hiroko (21), is a student at Nara Women's University. Daughter, Kasumi (16), is a student at Seki High School. Daughter,Yoriko (11), is a student in elementary school. I was fortunate to have a host grandmother and grandfather, and I was honored to be able to call them oba-san (grandmother) and oji-san (grandfather). Oba-san is a magnificent quilter and her work can be seen throughout this beautiful home.

I'm Leaving for the Airport in 1 Hour!!!!

2005-10-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

It is a rainy day here in Tokyo! I have just had breakfast at the restaurant on the 40th floor of the New Otani Hotel. It has been a wonderful adventure, but I am excited about coming home. I will be leaving Narita Airport around 2:oo this afternoon, and then I have a 12 hour flight to Chicago, a few hours layover and then home to Oklahoma - long day. I will probably be up at the school this weekend working on grades and getting used to being back in my classroom. I am so grateful to Mrs. Landon for being my substitute, I never worried for a moment because I knew you were in such good hands. I look forward to seeing you soon. I have missed you all!!!!

Love, Mrs. Schwiebert

Random Pictures from Japan!

2005-10-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

Did I Mention How Beautiful GUJO is???

2005-10-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

These are all pictures taken of the view from the Gujo Elementary School's hallway. Not only is it a beautiful view, you can hear the water rushing past also! I'm not sure I would get much studying done in these surroundings.

Mt. Fuji

2005-10-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

If you look real closely, you can see just the tip of Mt. Fuji in the distance. I was traveling on the bullet train at up to 160 mph when I took this picture. The clouds parted for just a second and then it was gone again!

Music Class is so Tiring!!!!!

2005-10-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite classes at the elementary school. The children were playing keyboards, but they had to blow into these tubes to get the sound to come out?!?! Anyway, right in the middle of our observation, one little boy just put his head down and he went to sleep!

Last Night in Japan!!!

2005-10-26T04:57:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day in Japan!! The day started with an early meeting with my prefecture group to practice our presentation for today's meeting. We were planning to talk about Gujo, do our Kawasaki dance, then show the power point. Everything was working beautifully until the presentation, when the power point would just not work. We did manage to present the information at the end of the day. As soon as the presentations were over, a few other teachers and I grabbed a cab and headed for the Tokyo National Museum. A brand new exhibit by HOKUSAI started yesterday. You may rememeber HOKUSAI, because he is one of the most famous block print artists in the world and we studied some of his work last month. I spent several hours going through the exhibit, viewing the actual works of art by this great master!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The party pictures are from the farewell reception. I was with a great group of people.

Learning the Famous Gujo Dance!

2005-10-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Besides the wonderful water, Gujo is known for it's dance!!! Thanks to Ishi-san, a group of musicians and dancers met us at the ryokan and taught us the Kawasaki - the most famous Gujo dance. We are presenting it tomorrow at our meeting here in Tokyo. Each group has to make a 15 minute presentation on their week in the prefecture. We have been fortunate in that 2 wonderful teachers, Nelli (from NYC) and Chrystine (from Rhode Island) have put together an amazing Power Point with highlights from everyone's pictures and videos. At the end of the presentation, our group of 20 is going to perform the Kawasaki dance. I will teach it to you when I get back.

After Japanese Feast - Karaoke!!!

2005-10-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

It would not have been a true Japanese feast unless we had karaoke! The girls are singing and dancing to "YMCA", Will is imitating Eminem, and Mitchell is singing to Ishi-san, our wonderful tour guide.

2005-10-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last night, our group of 20 spent the evening at a ryoken, a traditional Japanese inn. The pictures are of our room, complete with tatami mats, our banquet room, part of our many course traditional Japanese feast, and my 3 room-mates (Paula from New York, Diane from Houston, and Carolyn from Virginia), dressed in traditional yukatas and happi coats! After our group came back to the room from dinner, the table and chairs had been moved and 4 futons had been placed on the floor - it reminded me of Camp Classen!!!!!

Favorite Pictures of Gujo

2005-10-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

Gujo is a beautiful city, clean and quaint! The picture of the little waterway is representative of all the little waterways throughout the city. A gentleman from the mayor's office is showing us how householder members on that street can dam up the water in front of their house to wash vegetables or rinse out their clothes! There are natural springs that provide a continual supply of fresh water.

Japan Fulbright Group Makes the Gujo Newspaper!

2005-10-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

This is a copy of the Gujo Newspaper, "Cho-Nich" on October 19th. I am sitting 4th from the right. Micky, our translater, said the article's headline states, "Learn Education and Local Community in Japan- JFMF: U.S. Educators Visit Japan". The article goes on to explain that we are scheduled to observe classes, cleaning sessions, student club activities, and also visit local industries and spend time with host families.

Gujo is the Food Sample Center of the World!!!

2005-10-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

In Japan, when you go out to a restaurant, you will often choose your food from very realistic food samples. Gujo makes over 80% of all food samples for Japan and the world, so one of our activities was to visit a Food Sample Factory. I was actually ahead of the game, because my host family had taken me to make food samples the day before. It is an interesting process and I will be bringing home my work!!! It is very realistic!

Gujo Hachiman Junior High School

2005-10-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

As we entered the building, we were greeted by students waving from the walkway. Gujo Hachiman Junior High School has 3 levels of grades - they call them 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade (equivalent to our 7th, 8th, and 9th grades). This school has 392 students and 35 teachers. The third graders (9th graders) work very hard because this is their year to take high school entrance exams to determine if they can get into the high school of their choice. One of the teachers told me that most 3rd graders have homework every night, then they go to "cram school", which is preparing them for the high school entrance exams, at least twice a week.

We Visit Gujo Hachiman Junior High School

2005-10-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

We visit Gujo Hachiman Junior High School on Thursday, October 20th. The first thing I noticed as we approached the school was that all the students were dressed in very formal uniforms ( as you can see in these pictures). We found out later that all students are required to wear their uniforms to and from school, but at school, they have their choice of less formal sports attire. The brass band played a lovely welcome as we entered the room and then the president of the student body gave us a warm welcome in English!!! The band played our National Anthem and then their own.

Gujo Hachiman Junior High School

2005-10-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

All these students are hard at work! You'll notice that the junior high students also clean their school at the end of the day.

Gujo Hachiman Junior High School After-School Clubs

2005-10-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

Every day, after school, at the Junior High School, all students are requested to belong to a club. Some of the clubs I observed were: Kendo Club, Judo Club, Ping-Pong Club, and the Running Club.

Japanese Food

2005-10-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

The pictures of the food on the trays were taken at a Japanese restaurant. Can you identify any of the food? The picture with the student was taken at lunch at the Junior High.

Japanese Bathrooms!!!!!!!

2005-10-25T04:29:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest cultural differences was learning how to use the bathroom!!! The top picture is of a ladies bathroom - Japanese style. I'll explain that when I get home. The second picture is from the girls' restroom in the elementary school. The Japanese are very clean and they do not think you should wear "outside" shoes into the bathroom, so when you want to use the bathroom, you take your shoes off in front of the wooden slats, step on the slats, and wear a pair of "toilet slippers". When you are done using the bathroom, you wear the toilet slippers to the wooden slats, slip them off ( facing into the room), and step into your outside shoes. We were told that one of the major faux pas that Americans make is to wear "toilet slippers" out of the bathroom!!! I haven't done it yet!!!

Why is Gujo Hachiman School so Clean???????

2005-10-25T04:20:00.000-07:00

Why, you may ask, is this school so clean? The amazing answer is that everyday, at the end of the day, every single child spends at least 20 minutes cleaning the school. They are divided up into teams, with the older children being team leaders. I observed the children mopping the floor by hand and scrubbing out the toilets. A few of the older children had duties related to grounds maintenance. It seems like a great idea, what do you think, Mrs. Anderson?????????

Playtime at Gujo Hachiman Elementary

2005-10-25T04:16:00.000-07:00

These kids really know how to play!

Gujo Hachiman - the Building and the View!

2005-10-25T04:12:00.000-07:00

The scenic views are the views from the school hallways - it's beautiful. The classrooms are clean and it is evident there is much learning going on!

Gujo Hachiman Elementary School

2005-10-25T04:05:00.000-07:00

These are the beautiful children of Gujo Hachiman Elementary School. All the children wear their yellow hats when they walk to and from school. The top pictures are of the children as they sat in the assembly to greet us.

Gujo Hachiman Castle

2005-10-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

Hello! I am back in Tokyo and I will try to post some pictures from last week. On Tuesday, we went to Gujo Hachiman Castle. The town of Gujo was born in the middle of the 16th century when Endo Morikazu, a feudal-lord brought Gujo under his sway and built a castle on Mt. Hachiman. The two rivers in this town, the Yosida and the Kodara, are tributaries of the Nagara River. Endo counted on these rivers as natural moats and the castle town developed over this small area.

Same and Different!!

2005-10-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

This whole amazing experience has been enriched by my frantically scribbling notes about things that I want to share with my students. One thing that I found interesting is that both my host family's cars have a GPS system that is very advanced. Not only does it do the regular GPS thing, when you back up the car, the GPS screen turns into a camera screen showing you the back of your car - there is a camera mounted on the back of the car to let you know how much room you have to back up! Also, you can push a button on your GPS screen and it turns into a television with many stations. Also, one of the daughters has a very advanced cell phone that also has a television screen.

Yesterday, we went to the grocery store. It looked very much like the grocery stores in Oklahoma except everything was in Japanese AND there were many kinds of vegetables that I had never seen before. The girls were very busy using their hand-held Japanese to English computer to tell me what all these things were. Yoko (the mom) carried in a canvas bag and when she paid for her groceries, she placed them all in the canvas bag - much more ecologically responsible than the way we do it.

I have to talk about how beautiful this place is. I have to honestly say that it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The town of Gujo is in a valley and the hills surrounding it are full of lush trees. I imagine that this is what some of our early settlers must have seen when they walked into the pristine valleys of our mountain regions. I have made a promise to myself to learn more about Japanese history and specifically this region when I get back. I have much to share and many pictures. I will try to post the pictures when I get back to Tokyo on Tuesday. Good bye for now!

Sunday, October 23rd, in Gujo!

2005-10-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

Good morning! It is 9am in Gujo, and I am at the home of my host family - the Furuhashi family. In this family there is Naotoku (grandfather), Yuriko (grandmother), Yoshinori (father), Yoko (mother), Hiroko (oldest daughter-20), Kasumi (16 years old, daughter), and Ikaho (11 years old daughter). Their home is very beautiful and is a traditional Japanese home , it is over 100 years old. It is the original home of the grandparents. Hiroko, the oldest daughter goes to the University in Nara, and came home for the weekend to help with translations.

The family took me to a sushi restaurant for lunch and then they had a wonderful surprise for me. Ikaho, the youngest daughter, takes calligraphy lessons every Saturday. The family had arranged for me to accompany Ikaho on her calligraphy lesson and for me to take a calligraphy lesson, also. Yoshinori (the father) drove Hiroko, Ikaho, and I to the home of the calligraphy teacher. We removed our shoes, and proceeded up very narrow steps to the second floor and I met the teacher. He gave Ikaho a sheet to practice from and then he made one for me. It was much more difficult than I imagined, even after he came over and stood over me and held my hand to show me how to form the letters. Hiroko, the oldest daughter, used to take lessons from this man, you could tell that both sisters had much respect for this man. He was their sensei, their teacher. Hiroko explained to him who I was and that I had come to Japan to learn about the people, the culture, and the schools. He smiled and pulled out a sheet of paper, he asked Hiroko to ask me if I knew haiku, the Japanese form of poetry. I told him I knew of Boshu (spelling?) - a famous Japanese haiku writer. I watched in amazement as he started forming letters on the paper. Hiroko told me that he had written me one of Boshu's haikus and then he wrote the date and my name. It will hold an honored place in my home. I will bring it to school to share with all my students. When I told him that I was honored to take his work back to Oklahoma with me, he smiled widely, and proudly stood for a picture. It will be a special memory of my time in Gujo!

It is very humbling to be in Japan, because most Japanese know some English, and many of them can communicate quite well, while the Americans (including me!) are limited to a few phrases of greeting and frantic searching in our Japanese phrase books! Last night, my host family made suki-yaki, a dish of beef, bean curd, vegetables, and shirataki - it was delicious and very filling. After dinner, the family suggested that I rest, and I sat in this beautiful room, overlooking the valley and mountains. The room is in the original part of the home and 3 walls are sliding doors and wood. The 4th wall is sliding doors, the top half of rice paper and the bottom half of glass. There is a large, low table in the middle of the room and it is wooden on top, with blankets underneath the wood, when you place your legs under the blankets, you realize that the bottom of the table is heated!!! I placed my legs under the table, lay down on some pillows, and I think I drifted off for a few minutes. The two younger girls had piano lessons after dinner, so when they returned, I met with all 3 girls and we spent several wonderful hours discussing the questions my class put together. I got some interesting answers! Oba-san (grandmother) made me a neck wrap using a gauze strip of cloth and a packet in plastic wrap of warm sake' - I think she is worried about my cough. I wore it last night when I slept, and I woke up this morning feeling much better! I am using my host family' s computer, so I will send more pictures when I can. Today, we are going to a sports day at the middle school. Sayonnara.

I'm in Gujo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-10-19T03:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Gujo! We left on the bullet train Monday morning and arrived in Gujo on Monday afternoon. There is no internet hook-up at our hotel, so I have just walked for 30 minutes with about 8 other Fulbright people to this internet cafe. It's a neat place - only 400 yen for 1 hour (about $4). I will not be able to post again until I am back in Tokyo.

Today we went to Gujo Hachiman Elementary School. Gujo City is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains with a stream running right through the center of town. I have many pictures to share with you. We arrived at the school 1/2 hour before school started so that we could greet the children as they came to the school. All the children wear a school hat - yellow, and they all walk to school. Gujo Hachiman is a small school - about 330 students. After the principal met with us, we were escorted into the gym and the children sang for us. It took a few minutes, but I realized that the song they were singing was, "It's a Small World After All." They sang it beautifully. We observed many different classes and then I had lunch with the 6th graders. All children eat lunch in their classroom, with their teacher. I had a large bowl of rice, beans, some kind of pork and vegetable dish and milk. There were no forks, only chopsticks, so it took me quite a while to eat! After lunch all the children get to play - they have stilts and unicycles!!!! It was pretty amazing to watch how good they all were ! After lunch, one of the girls that I sat with at lunch time, came to me and said, "present". She had drawn me a picture, I will share it with you when I get back. Love you all and miss you lots!

P.S. I was in the lobby of the hotel Sunday night when I felt the floor shake! It was an earthquake!!! The epicenter was not in Tokyo, but CNN said it was a 5 on the Richter scale! New experience!

SUNDAY'S ADVENTURE!!!!

2005-10-16T05:09:00.000-07:00

Today was the day I promised myself I would venture out alone in Tokyo. I got up early, found a church about a 5 minute walk away ( it was St. Ignatius Church- Ignatius was my father's given birth name!!!!) and found myself in a beautiful church surrounded by lovely smiling, singing Japanese people. After church, I walked back to the hotel and asked the bell captain to call a cab. My destination was the Tokyo National Museum. I wanted to see the block prints we had studied in class. My first inkling that something was wrong was when the taxi driver seemed hard of hearing when the bell captain told him where I wanted to go. My second inkling that there was a problem was when the driver dropped my off in front of large building, drove away, and I realized that he had deposited me at the Japanese National Theater!!!!!!!! No problem, I thought, the people from Fulbright said that when we were lost, we should just stand there and look helpless. I think I did that particularly well!!!!. No one stopped. I looked through the clear windows of the theater lobby and decided that it might be better if I went inside, surely someone there could help me. This was inkling number three. I had borrowed an umbrella from the hotel ( yes, Holly, after all your research, I forgot my umbrella!!) and you could not enter the building with an umbrella. In front of most of the buildings in Japan, they have these little umbrella holders (see picture), and I needed 100 yen. I did not have 100 yen, so I could not get into the theater lobby!!! At this point I was getting desperate and then I spotted a cab. I frantically waved him over and hopped in. He looked at me with a smile and it was then that I realized I had no way to communicate with him. So I started talking loudly, saying things like "art!", "pictures!" and he kept shaking his head. Finally, I remembered that I had a Tokyo tour book in my back pack and I took it out and showed him the picture of the building. He nodded and we were on our way. A few minutes later, I heard the beginning of a song, it kept getting louder and I realized that the cab driver's cell phone was going off. It was playing the "James Bond" theme! I said, "James Bond!" to the cab driver and he smiled and said in a pretty good English accent, "My name in Bond, James Bond". That seemed to strike both of us as funny, and I finally had hope that I was not going to be lost forever. A few minutes later we pulled up in front of the Tokyo National Museum. I told him he was my James Bond because he saved the day, I paid my fare and went into the museum. The museum was amazing!!

SUNDAY COMES TO AN END!!!!

2005-10-16T05:03:00.000-07:00

After an afternoon of culture, another teacher and I decided to go to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. It was great, I made a new friend (see picture), and I saw the beautiful Tokyo Tower lit up at night! It is now 9:30 PM Sunday night and I am going to finish packing. We all have to be up and ready to load the buses to Tokyo Station at 7:30AM. At 8:36AM we will be departing Tokyo Station and traveling 2 hours by the bullet train to Gifuhashima Station. We will be eating lunch there in Gifu, then on to visit Gifu University. We won't check into our new hotel until 5:30PM - long day!!!! I'm not too sure about our internet access while in Gifu but I will try to post as often as I can. I will not be back in Tokyo until Tuesday, October 25th. Good Night!

SATURDAY'S TRIP TO EXPLORE TOKYO!

2005-10-16T04:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday is one of the two free days we are given. Early Saturday morning I meet Whitney (the famous subway guru) and we head out to Meiji Jingu Shrine. This shrine is set in a park-like setting and is beautiful! As I walked throught the woods, I was reminded of Camp Classen! Although the park/shrine is right in the center of Tokyo, it hard to remember that because the trees muffle the sound of the cars and it is a peaceful place.

2005-10-16T04:14:00.000-07:00

Saturdays are special days at the Shinto Shrine.
There are many different kinds of ceremonies and weddings.

2005-10-16T04:03:00.000-07:00

These children were all so beautiful that I asked their mothers if I could photograph them. All the moms smiled and said "yes". The two little boys with their heads down decided that even though their mother said "yes", they just didn't feel like being models that day! They refused to look up and no matter how hard she spoke to them, they refused. The little boy by himself tried talking to me after I had taken his picure. When it was clear that I didn't have a clue about what he was saying, he threw his hands in the air and walked off!!!!

Scenes of Tokyo

2005-10-16T03:55:00.000-07:00

These are all pictures I took during my Saturday trip around Tokyo. These particular scenes seemed like they could have been anywhere in the United States. The clothes are in a vintage clothing store called "Chicago". Vintage American clothing is very popular here.

Peace Education Seminar

2005-10-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

One of the options on Friday was to choose from 4 different seminars, I chose to go to the one on Peace Education. The moderator was David Satterwhite, the head of the Japan-United States Educational Commission. The panelists were Tomoko Yinagi, a teacher at the Hiroshima Misuzugaoka High School, Koji Ikeda who is chairman of the Yokasuka Disabled Veterans Association, and Migiwa Ishitani, an employee of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Program.

Tomoko Yinagi started the program, she is the English teacher at her high school and she was very easy to understand. She started out by telling the audience that her father was a Hibakusha, that is an A-bomb survivor. Her father was 14 years old the day the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima. She related the horrific story of how he survived that day and the days following. She said he would never talk about those days, but that the experience was so devastating to him and many survivors that for the rest of their lives they were champions of the cause that there should never, ever again be an atomic bomb. After World War II, the Japanese constitution added a provision that they would never be involved with atomic weapons. Her perspective as a high school teacher allows her to have a good insight into the minds and heart of young Japanese men and women. Her great concern at this time is that the further away we get from the bombing of Hiroshima, the less impact it is making on the young people. As the Hibakusha pass away, and are no longer here to tell their stories, people are forgetting how horrific that bombing was and there currently is a movement with the Japanese people to repeal the provision in their constitution that bans nucleur weapons. She gave all of us much to think about.

Koji Ikeda, is a very respectable older gentleman. He spoke very good English, his voice was often soft, but he spoke with the firm voice of one who has lived through hell and survived. Mr. Ideda was a young, married Japanese soldier on the day that the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He heard and felt the blast, but his first thought was of his young wife and infant baby. When he found them, he said that the flesh had been burned right off the right side of his wife's face. In spite of the excruciating pain his wife felt, she reached out to him so that he could place the baby at her breast and be fed. He, too, spoke of the days after the bombing, how people wandered around in a daze because the devastation was so complete, no one could even identify where they were, there were no landmarks left. Mr. Ikeda stated that he does not hold hate in his heart towards the Americans - I am not sure I could be so forgiving. He is the chairman of the Disabled Veterans Association and his main focus in the twilight days of his life is to make sure people do not forget the horrible results of an atomic weapon.

The last speaker, Migiwa Ishitani, is a young woman. Before she began, Mr. Satterwhite explained that the reason she was speaking today was not because she was an employee of JFMF, but because of her father, Susumu Ishitani. Migawa's father was also a Hibakusha. He was a boy of 13 when the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima. She related that her father had passed away 3 years ago, and that he was the one who used to contribute to this seminar. She said that her father always started his story the same way, and that she felt compelled to do the same. This tiny young woman stood up in front of a group of over 50 Americans and said in a shaking voice that she would like to offer an apology on her father's behalf, to all the people who were so bady hurt and killed by the actions of her father's country in WWII. She went on to tell some details of what he endured during the days and months after the bombing. As he grew up he came to realize that the things the Japanese government had told it's citizens about the Americans and the war were full of lies. He came to truly believe that no war was justified and that he eventually became a Quaker and a world reknown peace activist and educator. Some of the facts that she shared were that even today, there are no remedies for injuries and illnesses associated with atomic bombs. She told us that the Hiroshima bomb was the equivalent of 12 tons of TNT, the Nagasaki bomb was even stronger - 20 tons of TNT. The newest atomic bomb - the H bomb, is the equivalent of 15 MILLION tons of TNT. The survivors say, "No more atomic bombs!" She ended with a quote that I loved, "War begins in the heart of the man, and in the heart we must build peace." Mr. Satterwhite, our moderator, shared that he had been a friend of Mr. Ishitani's for over 30 years and had watched his daughter, Migiwa, grow up. He added that she was now married and expecting her first child, and so her father's legacy will live on in her child.

At the end of her talk, the audience was visibly, emotionally touched. There was a time for questions, and a young teacher raised her hand and was handed the microphone. She went on to say her name and relate that she was a teacher from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. She shared that her town, Oak Ridge, was a town created by the United States government in the days leading up to World War II. In this town, the US government set up a top-secret scientific facility. The purpose of this facility was to make the uranium that was the atomic part of the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The teacher said in a very emotion-packed voice, " On behalf of my country, I would like to offer apologies for all the devastation that came as a result of what went on in my town." How ironic that these two women would share this strange, sad bond. It was an amazing experience and I am very glad I was there to share it.

My Japanese Subway Experience!

2005-10-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

When we were ready to leave the Tokyo Fish Market, we joined up with another group of teachers who were going to try to navigate the trip home by way of the Tokyo subway. One teacher from Louisiana, knew how to read the subway map, so we joined her! One of the first things I noticed was that as you enter the subway tunnels, there are rows of bicycle racks. The tunnels and terminals are all very clean, and the one we were in had a beautiful mural on the wall. The token machine has an option for "English", so we put our yen in and got our subway tokens. Whitney, the teacher from Louisiana, led us to the train track. As we got on the train, I felt very confident that we could do this. Six stops later, we all got off. Whitney then told us that we had to transfer to another train to get to our hotel. By this time, our little group of 6 had turned into a group of about 20, as we had come across other groups of teachers who were thankful we had Whitney! I was in the back of the group and talking with some other teachers, when the front of our group went around a corner. All of a sudden, we heard Whitney say, "Hurry, the train is getting ready to leave!!!" Those of us in the back of the group all got a shocked look on our face because we knew that if we lost Whitney, we were doomed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has probably been about 15 years since I last sprinted, but I SPRINTED up the stairs, as did all the teachers around me. We dove into the subway car, and breathed a collective sigh of relief when we realized we had all made it!!!!

Thursday Morning, October 13, 2005

2005-10-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning started with a 4AM wake-up call and I was downstairs in the lobby with Marilyn Pineda, another JMFM participant from Comanche, Oklahoma by 5AM. A few minutes after that, we were joined by another teacher and we were in a taxi and headed for the Tokyo Fish Market. The taxis here are very clean, and all the taxi drivers are very well dressed - nice dress shirts and ties. They all wear white gloves, I'm not sure why, but the police men wear white gloves also! Although it was only 5:30 AM, we could tell we were approaching the Fish Market because all of a sudden we noticed people, cars, motorized scooters, and loading equipment everywhere. The Fish Market itself is is a large building and one of the most amazing things to me was that it did NOT smell fishy. Most of the fish there are frozen and many are still alive. It was a blur of activity and you had to be most attentive to what was going on around you or you would end up getting run over by some type of motorized vehicle. The actual fish auction goes on in the very back of the Market. There are large fish - tuna, mostly, and they are all on pallets with numbers written on them. They people who are there are to buy, stand around the auctioneer and he begins the process. Since it was all in Japanese, I could not tell what was going on exactly, but the process moved very quickly and everyone seemed to know what to do. As soon as a section's auction was over, workmen quickly swarmed in with large fish hooks and loaded the fish onto pallets with wheels (similar to our wheelbarrows) and delivered the fish to either the buyer's booth in the fish market or to one of the many waiting trucks. I was most amazed that it wasn't an overwhelming fish smell!! One interesting thing that happened was that as I was walking past one of the booths, a man was writing prices on a piece of paper to put on the displays and I smelled his magic marker. It smelled just like all the magic markers we use in our room and I thought, how ironic that I have travelled all this distance and here I am in the Tokyo Fish Market at 5:30 AM and the I smell I most notice is one that reminds me of home!

TOKYO FISH MARKET!!!!

2005-10-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Thursday Speakers

2005-10-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

Today, our first speaker was the President of the Sunmark Publishing Company. He told us about the famous Japanese writer, Renji Miyazawa. He graciously gave each teacher 3 of Renji's books. I am looking forward to sharing these beautiful books with you. In the afternoon, a Professor from the International University of Japan, Takahiro Miyao, spoke to us about the Japanese economy. It was very interesting and gave us yet another insight into the Japanese people. In the afternoon, we were treated to a debate by two members of the Japanese Diet ( their government). Yuji Tsushima is in the House of Representatives and is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and Wakako Hironaka is in the House of Councilors and is in the opposing political party - the Democratic Party. Their parties are very similar to our Democrat and Repubican parties in the USA. It was a spirited debate and both politicians answered questions after the debate.

Trip to Sensoji Temple in Akasuka

2005-10-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

After a full day of speakers, all 200 of us boarded buses at 4:00 PM to go to Sensoji Temple in Akakusa. Legend has it that in the year 626, two brothers found a statue of Kannon (the goddess of mercy) in the river and fished it out. They eventually returned it to the river, but she kept returning. So in 645, they built a temple to her and it is Tokyo's oldest temple. On the way in, I saw this group of girls, I asked if I could take their picture, they all smiled, grouped together and said "Peace". Just before I snapped the picture, a little boy ran from the side, jumped in front and yelled, "Peace!". It reminded me so much of Will in my homeroom, every time we have visitors! Notice their clothes.

Sensoji Temple at Akakusa

2005-10-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

A Trip To Asakusa!

2005-10-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

Dinner - Japanese Style!

2005-10-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

It may look like a grimace, but I was actually enjoying myself at the Aoi Marushini Restaurant! A group of 40 of us were seated around short long tables, we sat on cushions, and we were served a tempura (deep fried) dish of shrimp, potatoes, and vegetables. We were told to dip our tempura into the little white bowl which contained soy sauce. We were all given chopsticks, but were offered forks if we needed them. I opted to eat with chopsticks, and after some coaching from my new friends, I was able to at least get the food to my mouth! The accomplishment of the evening was when I was able to pick up a large, round berry, and sucessfully transfer it to my mouth!I am beginning to understand why so many Japanese women are small and petite. It takes a lot of time to eat with chopsticks! I am VERY TIRED - it has been a wonderful day, but now it is time to go. Sayonara!

Good Morning!

2005-10-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Tokyo is a beautiful city! This is the view from my hotel room. I am staying at the New Otani Hotel in Tokyo.

KYOGEN

2005-10-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

This man is Don Kenny and he is an American who is a well-known actor in the Japanese kyogen theater. He put on a show for us today and it was funny!

Kyogen

2005-10-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Today I saw a Kyogen demonstration. Can you identify the 5 masks -

1. Demon
2. Deities ( another name for gods)
3. Animal
4. Middle Age Angry Women Mask
5. Ugly young woman mask

Traditional Japanese Dancer Gets Ready

2005-10-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

Can you figure out the order here? It took this women about 20 minutes to transform herself into a traditional Japanese dancer. First she had to apply wax to her face so that the white make-up would stay on. Then she had to draw on her features.

Does Anyone Look Familiar here?

2005-10-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

This picture proves that I actually am in Japan!

2005-10-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

These musicians supplied the music for the dinner tonight. Can you figure out what the instruments are?

What Mrs. S. did NOT Eat for Dinner!

2005-10-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we had a wonderful dinner in the Grand Ballroom and the food was served buffet sytle. I tried lots of new foods and I even liked the spring rolls with chicken, shrimp, etc. Can you guess what ingredient I did NOT put on my spring roll?
You're right, I skipped the Fish Gut Asian Sauce!!

Now I have to go to bed. I am getting up at 4AM to go see the Tokyo Fish Market!!!

What's For Dinner?

2005-10-11T04:18:00.000-07:00

So, I am in Japan!!! Everything we have seen from the bus over here is amazing! The city reminds me very much of New York City. Because I still have a cough, I decided to get dinner in my room and write to all of you! When I looked at the room service menu - they had a page called, "Under the Weather Menu" the phrase under it says, "Got a cold? Not feeling well? We have just the menu for you." The Japanese think of everything!!!! I talked to the lady at room service and she recommended -
Japanese hot "UDON" soup with bits of chicken and Hot Lemon Juice with honey. Those are the things I ordered and you can see them in the picture. The soup was DELICIOUS and although it was a little spicy, it felt wonderful going down my throat. The hot lemon juice was like a lemon slushy ( not hot?) and then you poured a little container of honey in the glass. Oh, my goodness - it was so wonderfully soothing. I think I am going to like the food here.

Are We There Yet?????????

2005-10-11T04:15:00.000-07:00

Where Are We???

2005-10-11T04:07:00.000-07:00

One of the neatest parts of the trip was following our path on the screen in the cabin. We took a route from San Francisco to Alaska and then southwest to Japan. Any ideas about why the pilot would take that route? We also left San Francisco at 12:00 noon on Monday, October 10th, spent about 10 - 10 1/2 hours on the plane and landed at about 3:00 PM TUESDAY, October 11th - What's up with that??????????

My Transportation!

2005-10-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

Here is the plane I took to Japan. It is a 747 and it holds ALOT of people. The trip took 10 and 1/2 hours, but it went by surprisingly quickly. United Airlines fed us every few hours and we watched 3 movies. I sat with 2 teachers who were from Arkansas and Lousiana.

Greetings from Japan!!

2005-10-11T03:39:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am at the check-in counter at the San Francisco Airport! If you look real closely, you will see that the sign above my head is welcoming the 180 American teachers who are going to Japan with the Fulbright Memorial Fund Program. I have met teachers from all over the United States and their stories are amazing. One thing they all have in common is that they love kids!

I've Arrived In San Francisco!!

2005-10-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings from San Francisco! The picture is one I took from the plane as we crossed over the Rocky Mountains. I left Oklahoma City at 8:45 this morning and arrived in San Francisco around 2:00. We had meetings all afternoon and we were given more instructions about what we should expect in Japan. The Deputy Director of International Education from Washington, DC shared his insights about the Japanese culture. He said that he wanted us to try very hard to be open to the wonderful experience of the Japanese culture. All the teachers are very excited about the the trip and we are leaving the hotel tomorrow at 9:00 AM, so I'm going to sign off for now.

2005-10-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm all packed and almost all ready to go! Thank you so much to my homeroom moms - Mrs. Pilcher, Mrs. Moslander, and Mrs. Henry for the wonderful Japanese bon voyage party and luncheon. We dined on miso soup (with seaweed!), Japanese crackers, desserts, and green tea. We also had wonderful American brownies (thanks, Mrs. Hoehner). They and the class gave me a bag full of wonderful gifts - inflatable pillow for the plane, a travel billfold, handi-wipes, tissues, a book to read, and many other wonderful items! I will miss you all!

2005-10-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

TRAVEL SCHEDULE -

October 9 ( Sunday) - travel to San Francisco for Orientation
October 10 (Monday) - Depart for Tokyo
October 11 (Tuesday) - Arrive in Tokyo
October 12 - 16 (Wednesday -Sunday) -Tokyo program lectures, seminars, traditional art
performances (Kabuki and Kyogen)
October 17 - 24 (Monday -Monday) - Host City Program in Gifu - school visits, homestay,
cultural experience
October 25 - 26 (Tuesday - Wednesday) - Tokyo
October 27 (Thursday) - Depart from Tokyo

2005-10-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

One week from today, I will be in San Francisco, getting ready to fly to Japan. My students have been amazing and several of them have shared what they know about Japan and items that were in their families. Kennedy brought a silk Japanese dress to share with the class. Carson brought a pair of wooden shoes and pictures of his father in Japan for a martial arts convention. Sam told us about her grandmother being a teacher in Japan and shared a beautiful doll that her grandmother brought back to this country as a rememberance of her time in Japan

2005-09-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

Since I am going to Japan to learn all about this wonderful country and people, my students and I have been learning all about some of the basic facts that I will need to know. With that in mind, we are trying to learn how we are alike and how we are different. While I will be talking with the children and teachers about their hopes, dreams, and concerns - my students have a real desire to know about the people as people - the kinds of things that make up their daily living.

The fifth grade students at Prairie Vale have come up with 40 questions ( and 1 request!) that they would REALLY like answered. They would like me to email information and pictures about the following:

1. What board games do Japanese children like to play?
2. What kind of candy to Japanese children like?
3. What kind of clothing do 5th graders wear?
4. What are the favorite stores of Japanese children?
5. What are their favorite video games?
6. What kinds of bikes and motorcycles do they ride?
7. What kinds of pets do they have?
8. What do Japanese children like to do for fun with their families?
9. What are Japanese children's favorite kinds of shoes?
10. Who are their favorite movie stars?
11. What are their favorite hobbies?
12. What is a normal school day for a 5th grader?
13. What do 5th graders eat for lunch?
14. What do students write with?
15. What is an average class size?
16. How much homework do 5th graders do each evening?
17. What subjects do 5th graders study?
18. What do 5th graders talk about with their friends?
19. How big is the average elementary school?
20. What is a typical Japanese breakfast?
21. What is a typical Japanese lunch?
22. What is a typical Japanese dinner?
23. What kinds of restaurants are in Japan?
24. What kinds of new foods will Mrs. S. try?
25. What kinds of instruments are uniquely Japanese?
26. What is Kabuki?
27. What is Noh?
28. What is Kyogen?
29. What is Bunraku?
30. What is Anime?
31. What type of music do Japanese teenagers listen to?
32. What type of clothing are Japanese teenagers into?
33. What different buildings are in Japan?
34. What do Japanese homes look like?
35. What do Japanese schools look like?
36. What do Japanese churches, temples, and shrines look like?
37. Compare Gifu ( the small town I will be in) and Tokyo.
38. What forms of transportation will Mrs. S. be traveling on?
39. How are Japanese children SIMILAR to 5th graders at Prairie Vale?
40. How are Japanese children DIFFERENT from 5th graders at Prairie Vale?
41. Try to take a picture of a SUMO WRESTLER!!

2005-09-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to learn more about Japan from my students! Yesterday, Regan shared a PowerPoint about her experiences in 'Japan' while at Epcot 2 weeks ago. She had amazing pictures and facts and shared Japanese candy with all of her classmates. Today, Holly, shared an email that she had sent to a professor of Asian Studies at UCLA about typhoons!! She found his name and email address on a handout that I had given the students when we studied Japanese proverbs. He assured her that although October is 'typhoon season' in Japan, I should be safe, but that I need to take an umbrella and a raincoat. Lynsey has checked out a book from the library on origami, and she made me an origami butterfly today! I am so fortunate to be a teacher!! I think I am going to miss my students very much!

2005-09-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Konbanwa! That's Japanese for "Good Evening". The next 2 weeks will be very busy, so I thought that this would be a good time to tell you all about the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Program. The program is sponsored by the government of Japan and was launched in 1997 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. government Fulbright Program, which has enabled more than 6,000 Japanese citizens to study in the U.S. on Fulbright fellowships for graduate education and research. The program allows educators in the U.S. to travel to Japan for three weeks in an effort to promote greater intercultural understanding between the two nations.

We will begin our visit in Tokyo with a practical orientation on Japanese life and culture and meetings with Japanese government officials and educators. Then we will travel in groups of 20 to selected host cities outside of Tokyo ( I will be going to Gujo in the Gifu prefecture) where we will have direct contact with Japanese teachers and students during visits to primary and secondary schools as well as a teachers college. We will also visit cultural sites and local industries in addition to a brief homestay with a Japanese family.

My fifth grade students and I are in the final stages of our "Questions for Japan" list. We have been learning so much about the 'facts' of Japan, that we are really becoming more and more intrigued with the people, specifically the children, of this country. Stay tuned for our "Questions List"!

2005-09-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

Konnichiwa! That is Japanese for "Good Afternoon". This week in our class we will be learning some basic facts about Japan. We will also be learning about two wonderful Japanese artists - Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai. They are most well known for their wood block prints. We will also be learning about Kabuki, Noh, Kyogen, Bunraku, Ikebana, and Anime. Ask any of the 5th graders at Prairie Vale about what they know about Japan, they are becoming experts!!

Friday, September 16, 2005

2005-09-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about going to Japan!!!! My 107 fifth-grade Reading students and I have been learning so much about Japan. We have large sheets of paper plastered across the wall of my classroom listing what we think we already know about Japan and what we want to learn about Japan. Today in class, we discussed some Japanese proverbs and how the proverbs gave us insight into what the Japanese may value in their culture. The words "honor" and "duty" seemed to surface quite often. Two of my students, Kennedy and Austin, brought and modeled Japanese clothing that had been given to their families. Before I leave for Japan, my students will narrow down our questions to about 20 - 25, and I will be spending a good part of my free time in Japan searching for the answers to our questions.