I just returned to my base school, Nagamine, after watching the 6th graders graduate from elementary school. It was, of course, conducted entirely in Japanese, which means I understood about 1/4 of what was being said. The main gist was pretty plain, though: 6th graders enter, receive their diplomas one at a time, Kocho sensei gives a speech, PTA gives a speech, songs are sung, and the students leave.

If you ever go to one of these graduations, you're not going for the rehearsed speeches or the long sessions of clapping or the possibility of seeing someone (most likely an adult) burst into tears for no particular reason. You're going in order to see what kind of crazy getup these students come up with.

1) short skirts
First and foremost, you cannot help but notice the absurdly short skirts some of the girls choose to wear. A couple girls' skirts barely peeked out from under their sweaters. I think I might have spotted butt cheek. Keep in mind, these are 11 or 12 year old girls, so I don't think they were trying to go for the "sexy school girl" look. I can't help thinking what the hell the parents are thinking when they okay this fashion choice. "You look so cute! You should pair that 2-inch skirt with some thigh high stockings! A pedophile's dream!" Not to mention, it is about 3 degrees inside the auditorium. I am surprised no one died of hypothermia.

2) culottes
I didn't realize people still wore these outside of a Great Gatsby croquet themed party. Really, this is a popular enough "dressy" look for boys that clothing stores are selling them non-ironically? But at least the boys wearing culottes were owning it, striding down the aisle with heads held high. I can't help but wonder if the culotte-clad boys were participating in some kind of fashion show chicken. The first person to balk and change into normal pants loses!

3) neck scarfs
I actually quite like this look. Sure, the plaid usually clashes with some other pattern in the outfit, but it makes the girls look like a flight attendent, so you can't help feeling like they must be really nice and gracious people. They might even offer you a ginger ale if you're lucky.

4) sweater vests
There is nothing bad I can say about the sweater vest. I think it is a look that anyone can pull off, no matter what style you're trying for. But, I must wonder why all the kids wearing sweater vests only chose varying shades of blue. Is there a rule in Japan that you can't have a non-blue sweater vest at graduation?

5) blazers (with or without contrast piping and a crest)
Every girl who wore a blazer either had a family crest or contrast piping. Or, if she was really going for it, she had both. Extra points if her buttons are gold.

I don't know if it was because the auditorium was mind-numbingly cold, or I had way too much sleep last night, or I was just that into the fashion choices of these rambunctious 6th graders, but I didn't find one moment of the ceremony boring! That's saying a lot, since I have the attention span of... hey look, it's lunchtime!

Yesterday I took the train into rainy Osaka and checked out the Osaka Aquarium. It was incredibly crowded due to the rain, plus it was Sunday, plus... well, it's Japan. Crowds everywhere.

It was a pretty cool aquarium. It's laid out so there is really only one direction of traffic, which makes sense because, otherwise, it would be like Costco with everyone pushing against each other and me tearing my hair out trying to go around people. One of the more impressive tanks housed the giant whale shark and a huge manta ray, which shared the same big tank, but were separated by a fishing net. Not sure if it was because they are enemies or  had some kind of difference of opinion or what.

While most people spent their time ooohing and ahhing over that tank, which covered three floors of the aquarium, I spent about 20 minutes just staring at a much smaller tank that housed 2 sea turtles. They looked so happy! Can turtles look happy? Something about their little beaks looked like they were smiling. And so it struck me: sea turtles live a pretty sweet life.

For one, turtles live forever. Okay, that's not true, but relative to a human life, they live an awfully long time. They must have pretty low blood pressure, too, because they're never in much of a rush to get anywhere. That must be what contributes to their longevity.

Secondly, turtles don't have to worry about anything. Unlike most sea creatures, they don't really have any predators. If they are able to make it to sea as little hatchlings, then they are pretty set! The greatest predator to the sea turtle is man, but man preys on everything because we are terrible like that. So, they don't have to worry about being killed, and they don't have to worry about some tragic natural disaster taking away their homes, either.

Case in point: on the left you see that the sea turtle always has his home with him. He doesn't have to worry about someone breaking in, he doesn't have to worry about paying the mortgage on time, he doesn't have to worry about an addition to the home when the babies come, because they're all born with their own homes, too. So, in that sense, he never has to worry about his kids living at home forever, or, even worse, the dreaded "boomerang" effect where the kids go out into the world, only to return home after an unsuccessful stab at college and gainful employment.

Plus, his house is pretty badass.

A sea turtle also doesn't have to deal with other annoying animals. There probably isn't anyone being obnoxious in the public ocean that makes him roll his eyes, or family members that show up drunk to his cousin's wedding and tell embarrassing stories. They never have to make idle conversation at a party and nod politely at a boring story. They never have to bother thinking of an excuse of why you don't want to look at the slides from their trip to Missouri. If he ever runs into someone he knew from way back whom he doesn't want to pretend he didn't see, he probably just slowly turns and swims away, but not in a way that says "I'm being rude," but more in a, "Gee, I'm really busy, let's catch up some other time" kind of way. Cuz he's really casual and chill like that.

Sea turtles also seem to have some really cool little friends. Aside from other fellow sea turtles they get to hang out with little guys like this puffer fish on the right. He's super cute! I know they are probably just in this tank because that is how the employees at Osaka Aquarium arranged it, but  I bet they pal around all the time in the open ocean! It would be pretty cool to have a neighbor like that to borrow a cup of seaweed from.

Another bonus of being a sea turtle is that everyone loves them. Seriously, I have never met someone who said, "I hate sea turtles." You know why? Because they're not bullies (ahem... greatwhiteshark...ahem), they're not gross looking (yeah, sunfish, I'm looking at YOU), and when they are babies they are very cute. Which you really can't say about other baby sea animals. I think the stock for sea turtles also shot up when Crush the sea turtle was portrayed as a laid-back hippie/surfer dude in Finding Nemo.

Turtles also get to swim all day long. Which is one of my favorite things to do. I really can't elaborate much on that statement, other than to say swimming is really awesome, and having the ocean at your swimming disposal is a pretty neat deal.

And my final point for why sea turtles live a lucky life: they have abs of steel. Or shell. But you know what I mean. They have chisled rock-hard abs, without ever having to do a crunch a day in their life. Have you ever seen an obese turtle? (I just tried Googling it, and the answer is no... and I recommend not Googling that yourself, because you will see some disturbing non-turtle-related pictures...) Anyway, they are all in shape and healthy without even trying. If everyone could be that way, I'd have saved hundreds of thousands of Yen on my YMCA membership!

Basically, I have come to the realization that this awesome animal is one of the more underrated in the ocean. Sure, dolphins can do all sorts of tricks and otters are super cute when they clean themselves after eating, but stop and consider my points on the charmed life of a sea turtle, and you are sure to agree with me!

I have a feeling my next trip might be going to the Galapagos Islands and rescuing some turtles. Maybe I'll sneak one in my bag on the way home? Sounds like a plan.

I had some fitful sleep last night. First there was the earthquake, then the tsunami, and now the media going nuts over the "nuclear meltdown." I know the media in general has a flair for the dramatic, so I did some research, more for my own peace of mind than anything else, about how serious the nuclear disaster up north is. 
For now, it seems like things are under control, and Japan's nuclear power plants were built with the worst-case scenarios in mind. It seems there is no chance a Chernobyl-like disaster will occur. It also seems like the worst is over.

I was sitting at my desk at Tsurukabuto, fresh from playing outside with the elementary school children, relishing the warm sun on my back and the fact that I just pulled off three amazing classes in a row with my second graders. I was once again feeling like an elementary school rock star, earning high fives and hugs and points and giggles from the little kids that I hadn't taught before. It was my only class of the semester with them, and I was on cloud nine.

Then Kyouto-sensei turned on the news. I thought maybe he was checking in on a sports core or about to review the footage from that morning's sixth grade graduation ceremony. But instead I saw the news of crumbled buildings in Tokyo and rabid Japanese being spoken and flashing maps of Japan with the north east coast highlighted in red.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Earthquake," was Kyouto-sensei's simple reply.

It looked like a huge earthquake, but based on the blinking dot off the coast of Japan, I was relieved that it had occured in the middle of the ocean. Perhaps that meant not too much damage had been done. But then it struck me what happens when large earthquakes strike in the middle of shallow ocean waters. Images of the aftermath of the Thai tsunami a few years ago flashed in my head, and I asked, hesitantly, "Tsunami?"

Just as soon as the word escaped my mouth, I heard the news anchor echo, "Tsunami." It was just me, Kyouto-sensei, and the chief examiner in the staff room, and we huddled closer to the TV screen. I had no idea what was being said, and I couldn't read the complicated Kanji, but I knew from the look of fear on my co-workers' faces that it was not good. I tried to ask in broken Japanese, "How big is the tsunami? Where is it?" In return, Kyouto-sensei answered in broken English, "Miyagi. Big. Ju-yon meter." 

The chime struck for the end of fifth period, and a couple other teachers entered the staff room, laughing with each other. But, as soon as they saw the news on and the grave look on our faces, their laughter stopped and they joined us at the TV screen. 

At first all we saw was footage of some roads slowly getting flooded. Cars were still driving, although it looked like if they went any slower, soon they would start floating. However, within minutes, the water level had risen and all of a sudden the cars started getting swept out of the screen shot. The camera panned back, and we saw that the street had flooded so much, and the cars were getting carried over an overpass. We watched with horror as the cars, with people still in them, cascaded down over the guard rail and into the river below, tumbling and tumbling and then bobbing around under the river.

Then the camera switched to an aerial view of Sendai, and we watched as a dark wave carrying debris swiftly ate up the landscape. It was a helpless and utterly surreal moment, watching as cars and trucks that were desperately trying to outrun the incoming wave got swept up. Soon there was no more land to be seen, just cars, boats, and trucks swirling around. Some buildings had caught fire and were now floating, and as the camera panned back even more it looked like a scene out of a big budget disaster movie. But, this was real life, and these were real people, and there was no hero that was going to come in and save everyone.

I immediately emailed my mom and Dan to let them know that I was safe and far from any tsunami. 

I watched the coverage for over an hour before I realized that I was allowed to go home. I wasn't sure what to do, but I realized there really wasn't anything to do. I didn't personally know anyone in the Miyagi prefecture, but I know that many of my friends and coworkers have family and friends there.

In the hours after the tsunami hit, I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of concern coming from all corners of the globe. Emails, Facebook messages, phone calls, and texts all came, and I met frantic voices with my own voice of reassurance and relief. It made me wonder what would have happened if we didn't have this technology, and I couldn't stop feeling a sense of gratitude that I was safe from a disaster that was so near.

Please continue to keep Japan in your thoughts and prayers. It is a terrible tragedy, but I am so proud of the way the people around me are handling things. There is such a sense of unity in this country, and I know it may take some time, but Japan will bounce back.

Is it too early to be taking inventory of the things I will miss come August? Just on my daily commute alone, I have made a long mental list of all the familiar things that I will wish I could take with me back to America.

-The pink and purple "From the first train to the last" sign plastered on the floor of the Yamate-Seishinchuo subway platforms, indicating which train car is for Ladies Only

-The friendly chime that plays as a train approaches

-Nasal cries of "Irasshaimase!" coming from combinis, bakeries, and cafes, greeting the morning commuters and welcoming them into their shops

-little old ladies wobbling alongside the rushing crowd, making me feel like an 8-foot tall giant towering over their salt-and-pepper heads

-the friendly train station workers, who, I've noticed, seem to all wear black plastic-rimmed glasses. Is this part of the uniform?

I have surprisingly never protested against daily use of public transportation, not only because I really have no choice (seeing as how I can't afford a car, and I am slightly terrified of trying to figure out how to navigate through Kobe), but also because my commute affords me time to do many things: read, nap, obsess over my calendar, send emails. Unless I am wearing some uncomfortable shoes and forced to stand up, I quite enjoy the lengthy commute. I am not sitting in stop-and-go traffic, the trains are always on time, and the lady train always smells quite pleasant. I haven't had to worry about gas, toll, parking (and parking tickets... yuck), road rage, annoying radio commercials, lack of good music available. So, if given the option at home, I would rather have a one-hour stress-free commute over a half hour of sitting on the Bay Bridge or some bottleneck on 880.

Japan.

Last weekend I went on the Why Not? Japan ski trip. We all met at Kyocera Dome in Osaka and took off towards Gifu at 11pm. It was a long ride full of fitful sleep. I was sleeping against the window, which was freezing, but the other half of my body was sweating because the heat was cranked up so high. So my body was confused and I woke up every hour or so with one armpit frozen and the other armpit sweaty. Charming.

When we finally got to Gifu I shared a room with Misty, Cherrelle, Natalie, and Leah. We were fortunate enough to have an attached bathroom, as everyone else had to share the bathroom down the hall. Score! Cherrelle and I chose to situate our futons closest to the heater. It was quite comfy!

We started skiing right away. I learned my lesson from my Fukui ski trip, where I didn't have proper snow pants. I decided to wear my panda suit instead of a real snow suit. The reason for this was threefold:
1) It was warm.
2) I didn't want to spend a buttload on warm ski pants.
3) Everyone loves a panda.

Sure enough, I stayed plenty warm! I also posed for plenty of picture for strangers and got many a "Panda-san! Konnichiwa!" catcall from the ski lifts. Once or twice I almost crashed hearing someone shout "Panda!" With me craning my neck and my lack of peripheral vision, you can imagine the potential disaster that was!

While I had a ton of fun, there are a few things I could complain (slightly) about. The first was that my skis were ridiculously short. They said 150cm (I usually ski on 156), but they felt and looked more like 140cm. 

Second, they weren't exactly tuned. Someone had waxed the bejeezus out of them, so they were slick as all get out, but I couldn't get an edge no matter how hard I Ieaned, and the slippery little planks just flailied about beneath me. Needless to say, I did not ski my best all weekend. Also, the boots SUCKED. I have never seen adult-sized boots that only have ONE strap on them. And, the strap was up at the top of the boot near the calf. I am not what you called a small-boned lady. Only being able to strap around my fat calf meant that the rest of the boot was too huge and my feet were swimming in them. So, I had to exchange my boot sizes for a whole size smaller. It was a little too small, but at least I didn't feel like I was about to twist my ankle! I think they gave me a kids size because I had a white boot with pink and purple accents, much like my very first pair of boots I got when I was 11. 

So enough about the disappointing equipment. The mountain was much smaller than Skijam, so I went through everything within an hour and was chotto bored near the end of the day. If the snow was fresh powder, it would have been way awesomer, but it had started to get really slick and nasty by the end.

Also, another bit of unfortunate stuff happened. I was skiing with Fergus, who ran into his friend Jason. Jason was with his friends Joanne and Alistair. We had barely said hello to Alistair when we all went down the run, and Alistair had a terrible fall. Turns out he had some internal bleeding, and we had to get ski patrol for him. Fergus was gentleman enough to ride with Alistair, whom he didn't even really know, and act as translator as the ambulance rushed him to the nearest hospital an hour away. Alistair had to get some surgery to stop the bleeding, and I think now he is daijobou. But what a way to spend your first visit to Japan!

Anyway, by the end of day one I was tired but still smiling, and luckily not a bit sore. We all had a big yummy dinner in the dining hall, and they even put a fireworks show on for us.

After that we had an all you can drink party full of beer and chu hi. We drank ourselves silly, and Bridget and I even climbed into a cupboard and drank some more.

The next day it was quite the challenge to drag ourselves out of futon to catch breakfast. After breakfast we all napped for a little while longer, and then Panda and I ventured out alone for a couple hours. The snow had gotten icier since the night before, and my skis certainly didn't improve themselves, so I was only able to muster another couple hours of skiing before I called it a day and went in to pack.

Everyone was to be packed and ready to leave by 2pm, and in pure Japanese fashion, we were all on time and promptly loaded onto the bus. The rest of the ride back was tiring because most people were exhausted and sore, and this time we didn't have the luxury of darkness outside to help us sleep. I pulled my beanie over my face and tried to catch a couple hours before we got back to Osaka.

Luckily the ride back wasn't too torturous, but we were all so tired and still had about an hour more to travel back to Gak. By the time we dragged our sorry bodies into our apaatos, it was 11pm, and I was more than ready for a hot shower and a deep night's sleep.

Great weekend!

Zzzzz.