Nagoya Training Session

Guardian of the shrine!

Nagoya Training – July 10 – July 22
Training has been intense. Six days a week with days as long as 12 hours. Downloading tons of information about the curriculum and company protocol, as well as cultural issue. There are different curriculums geared from the age of 3 all the way up to 14 years of age. That is difficult in itself, but the real stress is around traveling to our schools. We all have four different schools that we will be visiting and often the travel can be as long as two hours. We take the subway, then the train, then the bus, and then we walk following maps drawn from previous teachers. My first school that I had to make my way to had correct directions, but for the wrong school, as there had been a recent move that was not notated down. The number one priority for the school is to arrive in good time. If we are late, it could result in classes being cancelled and very unhappy parents. As such, we are expected to arrive an hour before class starts and we must call in the office. If we are late, we can have points deducted, which can lead to our being fired, or rather, asked to resign. It will also affect our bonus. In the beginning we are encouraged to arrive several hours before class begins and this is something I have taken to heart as there can be many unexpected occurrences, mostly, just being lost in a strange country.
Mostly every day of our training, we have had to travel two hours to one of the PKC schools where we download all the information. We also learn how to be overly enthusiastic teachers, with super genki (happy) spirits. We learn silly songs and dance and Japanese oriented games such as jenga. Competition is a strong motivator for these kids. It is amazing how excited they can get about English if they are divided into teams that score points.
The most exciting thing about training? The coffee machine at Nagoya train station. It’s a vending machine that shows your coffee being made from within the machine while accompanied to salsa rhythms. Ok, so someone disappointed me by telling me it’s just a video that is being replayed. I still love watching it. The guys are crazy about the beer vending machines (and the underwear machine!) and the fact that you can drink beer in the streets. Best of all, my wine drinking friends, some wines are dead cheap, like my fav, Aussie Yellow Tail. It’s like 8 bucks – pretty damn cheap compared to back home. Most of us are religious shoppers at the 99 yen shop, selling foodstuff. We get our lunches and breakfasts (and sometimes dinners here). A tight budget can go a long way.
My first training class was a nightmare. After getting lost and arriving late, I ended up with the boys from hell. One boy, who was too smart for the class, became the ringleader for the others. They were bouncing off the walls. There was one painfully shy girl and I felt so bad for her. She hated being in that class. I just thought to myself, I don’t think that I can do this job. But I persevered and towards the end, I learned that it was important to engage the ringleader, Yuta (a lot of Yutas seem to be troublesome) while trying to encourage the one terrified girl. I have learned a few techniques during training for dealing with these nightmare scenarios, but in the end, we appear to be glorified babysitters. Troublemakers don’t get booted out of the class because it is a moneymaking business. However if they are violent to other kids, they might be removed. One of my fellow new teachers turned his back for a second and some kid was beating the shit out of another kid. I hope and pray that I do not end up with this kind of student. My other classes have been better. And there is another teacher around during training, although they are instructed not to interfere. Another difficult class was young teens that were tired and hated to be there. I guess their parents make them go. They either ignore you, talking amongst them, or else they may say and do nothing. This is incredibly draining. I feel bad for them because I thing the teaching material is not engaging enough for them. And then there is the fact that they are just plain tired from being so busy and so much studying. What a life. But on my end - it is so bloody hard to being super genki when everyone is just tuned out. You feel really stupid, but must continue on in that spirit.
It has been so exhausting, because when I finally do get a day off, I feel compelled to spend the day sightseeing. I purchase a one-day travel pass and stay on the run all day and night long. There is a lot to do in Nagoya and I love the buzz of a big city. I figure I can sleep a ton in the rurals of Shizuoka, but for now I have to get my yaya’s out on the town. Plus there’s so much to do, I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg.

Sumo tournaments are on right now in Nagoya and I have seen sumo players walking around near Nagoya castle, which is a sight to see, especially when they carry little purses and wear Yucatan’s (cotton kimonos). Very cute. We, as a group, talked about trying to attend the tournament, as the opportunity is too perfect. I don’t think that we will pull it off, as we will have to arrive at 8 in the morning to get tickets and it lasts all day long. My colleagues are pretty burnt out and I would not like to spend a whole day watching sumo, when there are so many things to check out on my list. We have also talked about checking out a baseball game. Rod says it is a one of kind experience and that there are also taiko drummers that play and cheer on. It is supposed to be lots of fun whether or not you are into baseball. I don’t think that will happen with my colleagues either. We seem to just be getting by and everyone is tired and poor.
So people are always sleeping on the trains and buses. It doesn’t matter what time – everyone is sleeping. It might be a way to avoid eye contact with other people as well, as I discovered the other day on the train. What better thing to do than sleep, when there is someone directly in front of you. It also makes me sleepy, seeing everyone sleeping around me. Sometimes I am determined not to sleep on the train, just to show real perseverance. A lot of the subway rides are about 30 minutes or so. The train ride can be as long as 60 minute, but I am too stressed about missing my stop to sleep. My roommate got on the wrong bus and ended up in the middle of rice paddies.
So, the Japanese (especially the women) have their own fashion sense, as many know. I just don’t get the leg warmers in summer, but the schoolgirls are really into that. A lot of young women are into this particular look – super brown tanned skin with a lot of white make up around their eyes, like a raccoon. It’s kinda strange and some of the guys find it disturbing. In Kevin’s words, “Girls, what are you doing to yourselves!” Sometimes the white make up is so expansive, it reaches down to their cheeks. I guess it’s the hot sexy look. I asked one of my bosses what you call the look and he thinks it’s the “Yamamba Girls” ……but don’t quote me on that, cuz he could be so wrong. I like the inverted Goth look that borders on hideous. It has a punk rock attitude there somewhere. I will try to sneak a photo.

Hip-hop is pretty big. Down the Osu stroll, there is a major hip-hop thing going down. I caught a bunch of kids breakin’ down in Sakae. Nice to see the girls in there, but once again, they seem to be pulling the MTV moves.
So, to top off the end of training, we had two exams. One for all the curriculums and company protocols and one for first aid and emergency training in case of earthquakes and tsunami. Never a moment to dull out. However, I would rather be out partying than studying for that exam – which is exactly what I did. I feel very serious about enjoying the big city because who knows how bored I will be in the future! I suppose I will have to make the effort to visit the big cities when cabin fever sets in. The company is sending out luggage ahead, just two pieces, but it is well appreciated, as we will be making our way via trains and buses. I look forward to the bullet train ride. The company has paid for the ticket, just so that we end up in the right place no doubt. I have heard stories of people pulling runners or quitting really quickly. One of the recruits in our group says he will split as soon as an opportunity presents itself. He is here to find his fortune. Most of us are here to pay off student loans. Majority of us being Canadians. I spoke to an Australian teacher who told me that in Australia, if you do not find a well paying job in your field, you do not have to repay your loan. Talk about lucky people. And to think that we are so appreciative for being offered student loans with interest added on. Hello! What is wrong with this picture?
Much love all around and big hugs!