Air guitar at 'All Days' karaoke parlourI’ve been in Hikone now for a little over a week and it is great to be back. The city is the same and the familiarity has been a gat comfort. Several times I have encountered Japanese who came up to me to say it was good to see me, although they’ve all been shopkeepers. When I went back to Yab’s bar the waitress Minami had my usual bottle of Heartland beer opened for me as soon as I walked through the door.
The first few days in Hikone were a lot of fun. Along with my fellow returning students Nate and Katherine, I gave the new students tours of the best spots in Hikone. We’ve already been to a few restaurants I only tried briefly. I got a chance to take the group to CoCo Curry House for dinner, and then to karaoke.
Last Friday some high school students from Maibara, the city one train stop north of Hikone, came by the JCMU to speak English. The two girls in my group ended up knowing very little English, so I got a chance to practice my Japanese. The one girl kept lying to us, stating with a straight face that her father was a professional golfer and that her family owned four cars. The lying students’ friend was in complete hysterics over my skepticism. The other American student in our group was a first year, and had only studied Japanese for two days, and had no idea what was going on.
Yesterday another group of English language students came by, but this group was mainly college students and adults. I spent most of the time talking to a middle-aged housewife who was not confident speaking in English. I helped her translate the ice-breaker questionnaire and then we talked about sports; she plays golf and I explained fencing to her. The other housewife nearby kept told us we were very “attractive young people” and invited us all out to dinner sometime soon.
On Saturday we went for brunch at the coffee shop across the road. For a mere 950 yen I got one cup of coffee and two pancakes! Never again…
On the top floor of a local mall I found a museum to feudal Japanese horsemanship. Models of horses decked out in 16th and 17th century military armour decorate the room, and there is a fantastic view of the city from that floor. I got a chance to use my Japanese with the docent who attempted to explain Japanese riding to me with limited success, yet I think it was a rewarding experience.
Right now the biggest shock for me is that the students have already split up into cliques. Over the summer the cliques seemed larger and much more permeable, now there are distinct groups. I think this may be because there are a lot more otaku, the slang given to fanatics of Japanese anime and culture. I’ve not gotten into any arguments with these people yet, but they irk me. I feel like their complete adoption and emulation of the strangest fashion trends casts all foreign students in a poor light.
However, I’ve found a group of pretty interesting and adventurous students. I’m looking forward to exploring the local area more thoroughly. Starting next week I’m taking a class on the Japanese economy at the local Shiga University. I’ll be in the class with some local students who I’ve already met before, so getting better acquainted with them will be nice.
The first few days in Hikone were a lot of fun. Along with my fellow returning students Nate and Katherine, I gave the new students tours of the best spots in Hikone. We’ve already been to a few restaurants I only tried briefly. I got a chance to take the group to CoCo Curry House for dinner, and then to karaoke.
Last Friday some high school students from Maibara, the city one train stop north of Hikone, came by the JCMU to speak English. The two girls in my group ended up knowing very little English, so I got a chance to practice my Japanese. The one girl kept lying to us, stating with a straight face that her father was a professional golfer and that her family owned four cars. The lying students’ friend was in complete hysterics over my skepticism. The other American student in our group was a first year, and had only studied Japanese for two days, and had no idea what was going on.
Yesterday another group of English language students came by, but this group was mainly college students and adults. I spent most of the time talking to a middle-aged housewife who was not confident speaking in English. I helped her translate the ice-breaker questionnaire and then we talked about sports; she plays golf and I explained fencing to her. The other housewife nearby kept told us we were very “attractive young people” and invited us all out to dinner sometime soon.
On Saturday we went for brunch at the coffee shop across the road. For a mere 950 yen I got one cup of coffee and two pancakes! Never again…
On the top floor of a local mall I found a museum to feudal Japanese horsemanship. Models of horses decked out in 16th and 17th century military armour decorate the room, and there is a fantastic view of the city from that floor. I got a chance to use my Japanese with the docent who attempted to explain Japanese riding to me with limited success, yet I think it was a rewarding experience.
Right now the biggest shock for me is that the students have already split up into cliques. Over the summer the cliques seemed larger and much more permeable, now there are distinct groups. I think this may be because there are a lot more otaku, the slang given to fanatics of Japanese anime and culture. I’ve not gotten into any arguments with these people yet, but they irk me. I feel like their complete adoption and emulation of the strangest fashion trends casts all foreign students in a poor light.
However, I’ve found a group of pretty interesting and adventurous students. I’m looking forward to exploring the local area more thoroughly. Starting next week I’m taking a class on the Japanese economy at the local Shiga University. I’ll be in the class with some local students who I’ve already met before, so getting better acquainted with them will be nice.
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