Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Tanjoubi omedetou: Turning thirty in a foreign country

Part 1:
Today is a big day.  A day thirty years in the making.  Today I am thirty!  It is funny how much difference a year makes.  Last year I turned off my cell phone and tried to avoid anyone who would wish me happy birthday.  It was not something I wanted to be reminded of.  Actually, all the birthdays after twenty-one were pretty depressing.  Each year was a reminder that I had not made much progress toward my goals.  I still have not finished my break out novel, but this year has been filled with so many other experiences and milestones.  I am finally living abroad, something I have always wanted to do.  I am experiencing a new culture first hand and growing in ways I never imagined.  Somewhat grudgingly I am getting back in shape.  And I get to spend my days with some amazing young people.  Not being able to celebrate with friends and family kind of sucks, since I actually want to celebrate, but I know they are all happy for me.  At least they will be tomorrow, when it is September 26th in America.

Part 2:
Usually I am not a huge believer in fortunes.  I take them with a healthy dose of skepticism.  But I am starting to believe the fortune I got on Mount Myoken might be real.  It said I was super lucky.  And you know what, I am!  



I had to leave it to make sure it came true.

Today was not just my birthday; it was also my school's cultural festival.  There were no classes.  Instead, I spent the day getting to know my students outside of the confines of English class.  I knew they were amazing, but they really took my breath away with their creativity, energy, and personalities.  We started off with a choral performance.  Every grade performed.  Some grades even had students playing the accompanying piano.  They all did very well and I was very glad I wasn't asked to judge.  The morning assembly also included performances by the brass band and everything was run by the students.  The only adult performance was a comedy routine by one of the elementary teachers.  I didn't understand every word, but it was a story about a boy with a very long name.  His father couldn't decide what name to give him, so he ended up with all the suggestions.  It was very funny.

In the afternoon each class had their own special activity.  They had spent hours preparing and it was great to see their ideas and passion take shape.  There were games, a cardboard maze, a movie written, filmed, and starring one class.  There were also two different plays and a scavenger hunt.  Students were running around from activity to activity.  I was pulled one way and then another as I made my rounds to each class.  It was so different from the school carnivals I was used to.  There were some parents, but this was by the students for the students.  Ninth graders played board games with fourth graders.  Everyone was laughing and having a blast.  It was a fantastic experience made all the more special because it was my birthday.  I am so glad I got to spend it playing with my students.

Part 3:
When the festival finally ended, and all the props, games, and prizes were cleaned up, all the teachers breathed a sigh of relief.  While the students did the majority of the work (and clean up), it was still a draining experience for the staff.  In order to celebrate and unwind, we all went out for dinner. 
Japan has an amazing tradition called a nomikai.  You go to a restaurant and for a certain amount of time it is all you can drink.  There is a set menu and plates of food are shared, but the important part is the drinking.  This is a chance to really relax and get to know each other.  I was so glad to be invited.  Because I live pretty far away from my school, I don't have a lot of chance to get to know my fellow teachers.  Some of them I talked to for the first time as we shared food and stories. 
It was also my first Japanese birthday party!  I was caught by surprise when the lights in the restaurant dimmed and the waitress came out with a birthday cake and balloons.  

Mmmmmmmm.
Everyone sang happy birthday, in English, and set off the poppers they had been hiding all through dinner.  They even gave me a tensile garland to wear.  I was completely overwhelmed.  It was a wonderful evening.  I truly am super lucky to be assigned to such a wonderful school.

So happy!


Part 4:

I finally made it home a little after midnight, exhausted and a little drunk.  I had left at 6:30 that morning.  It was a super long day, but it was one amazing birthday.  I was dreading turning thirty. But in the end, it was one of the best birthdays I have had in a very long time.  It even beat twenty-one. 

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