English Conversation Class / Networking in Japan / Camera Battery Died
The stranger who took me to the Tea Ceremony, invited me to come to English Conversation class. I graciously accepted. It was a two hour class. The stranger, who's nickname is Tomi, picked me up at the Bread Shop once again only this time I knew her. She still drives like a maniac. It is so hard for me to get used to the cars and driving in cars here, as it is the British who set up the Japanese road system. I am not used to being on the other side of the street or in what I know the driver's side, only here, it's the passenger's side. Weird feeling! When I got in the car, Tomi said to me: "I was born in 1952", so I looked at her and said, "I was born in 1953". I think we both felt better!!!
So we got to Conversation Class early, but Tomi had already let the teacher know I was coming and so I felt better about it. The sensei, teacher, lived in the States for 4 years when her doctor husband was doing research way back when. She lived in both California and New York then on to Italy for another two years. She was a very nice woman.
I wrote on the board who I was (definitely in teacher mode) then I reintroduced myself as everyone entered the room. There were about 15 people in all. It turns out that classes are offered in many different places but this one was at the Community Center. The students do not pay for classes here but I was told these particular students do give her some money. These people are financially stable, educated, retired and/or housewives. There were about 8 men and 7 women. I told who I was, why I was in Urawa and how I got to the class. I had previously thought the bread lady invited me to the Tea Ceremony, but it was a customer of hers who spoke to Eric once in the Bread Shop who wrote the note I brought home and did the inviting.
They went around the room and introduced themselves in English and talked about the America they went to. Most had been to America several times but one had never been, and one went on her honeymoon 40 years ago to Sedona Arizona. They told of their experience as a non English speaking person or one with limited English. They all seemed to have a good experience.
One woman lived in Alabama for 4 years about 20 years ago. Her daughter is back living in the States and she wants to go visit again and improve her English before she does. Another woman lived there for two years with her husband and children, then moved to Germany for 2 years before coming back to Japan. There was a well traveled man, who is a children's book writer and illustrator (he spoke the best English but it turns out he has been studying English for 15 years now). There was a man who was a painter in oils. Another an engineer. There was a distinctly older gentleman who spoke English very well, who had been to the States for a total of 21 days over his years. He spoke with great stories of his experience. He looked like he was in his late 60's but it turns out he was 80 (born in 1930). One time as I was talking one of the older men asked if I would talk much slower. He was having a hard time understanding me.
The sensei moved me up front next to her so they could ask me questions about America. I told her my interest is children and their families and every day life where ever I am. We talked about the differences in children, schools, teachers and families. As the session went on, I told of my divorce and how divorced women and children are looked upon in the states and the education system. I know from my research that children living with a single mother are supposed to do poorly in school and rebel. While both my own children have had their share of rebelling, it was pretty generic and nothing too bad. Don't get me wrong, I didn't like it and am still going thru it with one of mine, but from what it could have been, it wasn't. I have good kids. Their bad was not too bad. Did I like it? HELL NO!
They told me of how things are changing in Japan also because families are changing. They said that women were becoming more independent and educated and stronger, but the men seem to become weaker and less motivated. They spoke of how more adult children are living with their parents again and some are working, some not. They are worried about family life and how children are growing up differently in Japan. Most of then are concerned about the men's attitude since the women are getting more powerful, in families and out. NEET is the term that they used. Thanks Wikipedia for this : NEET is an acronym for the government classification for people currently "Not in Employment, Education or Training". It was first used in the United Kingdom but its use has spread to other countries, including Japan, China, and South Korea. They also used the words: herbivore and carnivore. Herbivore means plant eater when used in classifying animals and carnivore is meat eating. When they used this terminology in Japan nowadays, they say that men are becoming more herbivore: more likely to take the back row position, and not marry or think about women or anyone. Since they see women's liberation happening more and more.
I told of how I could not tell the age of the people in Japan, only the school age children and adolescents because they all wear uniforms. So the sensei had them go around the room and tell what year they were born. I made a joke about "oh now I have to do the math!". So Tomi stood up and said, she was born in 1952, I said I was born in 1953, most of the women were born from 1949 to 1952 except for one who was born in 1965. When she introduced herself, she said she was a stay at home mother of two. My mind went to oh her children were 4 and 6. It turns out her children were 20 and 18. She looked in her 20's herself. She became my best friend. lol
The men went like this: 1930, 1930, 1934, 1938, 1949 and I don't remember the rest. Sensei was born in 1946. There was only one man who I thought was close to 70 and it was because he must have had something like Parkinson's because he was shaking some.
Some of the stories I heard from them included the engineer born in 1938, went to Las Vegas some 20 years ago. He and a colleague were sitting having beers and the waitress came over and said 'two more' only in Japanese the word to order in a restaurant sounds similar to what she said so they said yes and all of a sudden two more beers came out. They never did eat dinner. He told the story and it was so funny to see him laugh at his experience. The older man with Parkinson's told of a story when he and his colleague were on the airplane and the flight attendant said fasten your seat belt. His friend stood up and fixed his pants zipper and belt. She came over and showed him what she meant. It was very funny.
Sensei said that they were all going to lunch and would I please join them. I did. They helped me order and understand what some of the food was. It was delicious. I was on a side of town that I don't think Eric and Monica were ever on. It was cool. I wonder if they had a car if they would be able to explore more. I also wonder if they want a car, because they have a nice little life walking their errands and taking trains and buses to get places. Who knows!
No pictures yet because my battery died and I forgot to recharge it. Tomi took some pictures and will drop them off at Eric's house.
Going to school with my son today! Bye for now.
So we got to Conversation Class early, but Tomi had already let the teacher know I was coming and so I felt better about it. The sensei, teacher, lived in the States for 4 years when her doctor husband was doing research way back when. She lived in both California and New York then on to Italy for another two years. She was a very nice woman.
I wrote on the board who I was (definitely in teacher mode) then I reintroduced myself as everyone entered the room. There were about 15 people in all. It turns out that classes are offered in many different places but this one was at the Community Center. The students do not pay for classes here but I was told these particular students do give her some money. These people are financially stable, educated, retired and/or housewives. There were about 8 men and 7 women. I told who I was, why I was in Urawa and how I got to the class. I had previously thought the bread lady invited me to the Tea Ceremony, but it was a customer of hers who spoke to Eric once in the Bread Shop who wrote the note I brought home and did the inviting.
They went around the room and introduced themselves in English and talked about the America they went to. Most had been to America several times but one had never been, and one went on her honeymoon 40 years ago to Sedona Arizona. They told of their experience as a non English speaking person or one with limited English. They all seemed to have a good experience.
One woman lived in Alabama for 4 years about 20 years ago. Her daughter is back living in the States and she wants to go visit again and improve her English before she does. Another woman lived there for two years with her husband and children, then moved to Germany for 2 years before coming back to Japan. There was a well traveled man, who is a children's book writer and illustrator (he spoke the best English but it turns out he has been studying English for 15 years now). There was a man who was a painter in oils. Another an engineer. There was a distinctly older gentleman who spoke English very well, who had been to the States for a total of 21 days over his years. He spoke with great stories of his experience. He looked like he was in his late 60's but it turns out he was 80 (born in 1930). One time as I was talking one of the older men asked if I would talk much slower. He was having a hard time understanding me.
The sensei moved me up front next to her so they could ask me questions about America. I told her my interest is children and their families and every day life where ever I am. We talked about the differences in children, schools, teachers and families. As the session went on, I told of my divorce and how divorced women and children are looked upon in the states and the education system. I know from my research that children living with a single mother are supposed to do poorly in school and rebel. While both my own children have had their share of rebelling, it was pretty generic and nothing too bad. Don't get me wrong, I didn't like it and am still going thru it with one of mine, but from what it could have been, it wasn't. I have good kids. Their bad was not too bad. Did I like it? HELL NO!
They told me of how things are changing in Japan also because families are changing. They said that women were becoming more independent and educated and stronger, but the men seem to become weaker and less motivated. They spoke of how more adult children are living with their parents again and some are working, some not. They are worried about family life and how children are growing up differently in Japan. Most of then are concerned about the men's attitude since the women are getting more powerful, in families and out. NEET is the term that they used. Thanks Wikipedia for this : NEET is an acronym for the government classification for people currently "Not in Employment, Education or Training". It was first used in the United Kingdom but its use has spread to other countries, including Japan, China, and South Korea. They also used the words: herbivore and carnivore. Herbivore means plant eater when used in classifying animals and carnivore is meat eating. When they used this terminology in Japan nowadays, they say that men are becoming more herbivore: more likely to take the back row position, and not marry or think about women or anyone. Since they see women's liberation happening more and more.
I told of how I could not tell the age of the people in Japan, only the school age children and adolescents because they all wear uniforms. So the sensei had them go around the room and tell what year they were born. I made a joke about "oh now I have to do the math!". So Tomi stood up and said, she was born in 1952, I said I was born in 1953, most of the women were born from 1949 to 1952 except for one who was born in 1965. When she introduced herself, she said she was a stay at home mother of two. My mind went to oh her children were 4 and 6. It turns out her children were 20 and 18. She looked in her 20's herself. She became my best friend. lol
The men went like this: 1930, 1930, 1934, 1938, 1949 and I don't remember the rest. Sensei was born in 1946. There was only one man who I thought was close to 70 and it was because he must have had something like Parkinson's because he was shaking some.
Some of the stories I heard from them included the engineer born in 1938, went to Las Vegas some 20 years ago. He and a colleague were sitting having beers and the waitress came over and said 'two more' only in Japanese the word to order in a restaurant sounds similar to what she said so they said yes and all of a sudden two more beers came out. They never did eat dinner. He told the story and it was so funny to see him laugh at his experience. The older man with Parkinson's told of a story when he and his colleague were on the airplane and the flight attendant said fasten your seat belt. His friend stood up and fixed his pants zipper and belt. She came over and showed him what she meant. It was very funny.
Sensei said that they were all going to lunch and would I please join them. I did. They helped me order and understand what some of the food was. It was delicious. I was on a side of town that I don't think Eric and Monica were ever on. It was cool. I wonder if they had a car if they would be able to explore more. I also wonder if they want a car, because they have a nice little life walking their errands and taking trains and buses to get places. Who knows!
No pictures yet because my battery died and I forgot to recharge it. Tomi took some pictures and will drop them off at Eric's house.
Going to school with my son today! Bye for now.
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