When Japan tried Multiculturalism

So I went to Osaka a few weekends ago, and Osaka is the (wait, can I actually try to compare it with any other city?... anyone would be ashamed of me to do so, for those of you who have been to Osaka). One cannot fully explain Osaka and I have yet to understand it myself, but anyhow. It's the closest metropolis to Fukui, that being a place of more than a million people in one urban center. And with metropolises comes a sense of culture, senses, liveliness, the general atmosphere of a large city center. It's the place where you can find ethnic cultures other than Japanese within Japan. Not surprisingly therefore, it's also the place I ate Mexican and Indian on the same weekend, while also drinking a pint of Murphy's at a local Irish pub (legit) and subsequently enjoying the spirit of Christmas at an authentic (if one ignores everything else Japanese around) German "Weihnachtsmarkt". It almost feels as though I am at home in Toronto every time I go to Osaka, though as I mentioned before, I couldn't do that for either Toronto, or Osaka's sake.
Though on the note of culture, those are little fragments seen within a larger Japan. Japan isn't REALLY multicultural. If anything, it's an excuse for me to lavish in foreign goods whenever I pop off to a larger city, because they CAN cook better food than I can, and well, let's face it, good food usually comes from good cities. Though, I am sure the old lady down the street would argue with me on that note and then serve me a bowl of shaved radish in a buckwheat noodle broth.
Over the weekend, I had a brief conversation on just that with an acquaintance I had just recently met. Though we share different opinions on Japan culture (mine are more rash, as I have lept over the line of naivity), we concluded that it is most definitely not multicultural what-so-ever. But wait for his rational... it's not for the lack of Turkish-owned Shwarma stalls.
He spoke of the lack of English ability by the Japanese. Are you kidding me?! You're basing multiculturalism on the acquisition of the English language? Though I regard his statement as a bit worldly, he would have expected more from the Japanese than the current state of their English level from a city, such as Tokyo, which is so "multicultural; a cultural capital of the world". No shit Sherlock. It's Japan; A country that only opened up to the West in the end of the 19 century. When I go to Tokyo I use Japanese. You should too. Don't get all over your head that they don't speak English. They will. As much as you want them too. And you should thank them. Because I'm sure you wouldn't do the same for them.

Hike that mountain!

Get ready... this could take an entire year to describe to you. Do not fret, my writing skills and my attention cannot hold you on for too long, so I've decided to make a catch factor.
Walking through bamboo forests after the rain with a close friend soaking up nature. Have I enticed you yet?
Go figure in an island country, full of mountain ranges and volcanoes that hiking would be popular among a hand-full of the population. Not only are the mountains gorgeous, but they are challenging, tall in comparrisson to what I've previously seen, and not to mention very photogenic. It's also made very easy because Japanese have a tradition of hiking and wandering across the country, paving paths to be explored, or suggesting previously paved paths (love the alliteration) to the thrill-seekers. Every mountain has been climbed, at least twice and so marked paths, with maps and posts are easily spotted. If you wanna strike up a conversation with a Japanese about anything... my suggestion would be hiking. They could tell you the closest mountain and the best 100 within a circumference of 100km, by name (of course in Kanji), it's altitude and an approximate time it will take you to reach the summit.
Living in Fukui, I am at the edge of the Japanese North Alps. (Some dude climbed some mountains in Europe, came over to the Japan and decided he call them the Alps). Though there is no Mt. Blanc, there are definitely some challenges, including Mt. Fuji, which I climbed as my initiation to mountain-climbing.
Prior to arriving to Japan, I had never previously struck the idea of mountain-climbing, let alone hiking. Hiking was something Boy Scouts did for two weeks in the summer at their base camps in Haliburton or Grafton. But we all know Ontario is on the bottom rung of places with mountains, unless you're from Saskatchewan. And would anyone actually consider climbing something like Mt. St. Louis?
What has fascinated me about climbing is its relative ease, expense and health factors. Great on the wallet, it's FREE, great source of Vitamin D (thanks sun) and I can get to the closest course within a 15 minute drive. Some of the most beautiful landscapes I have seen are from atop mountains and hiking trails, allowing for scenic beauty and of course some food for thought. I'm going to continue this fascination with hiking, which has spawned the decision to live near mountains in the future. Sorry Mississauga. Maybe next time.

Delicious, Fried, Sweet Potatoes. Can you resist?

If there's something I've indulged in since coming to Japan it has definitely been the food. Nothing detestable has ever made it to my plate, yet... whether that's willingly or not, I'm not sure. I asked my friend Kim last night, "If you had to describe to someone Japanese food, what would you say." She said, "unhealthy". Strange, n'est pas? Au contraire, what does the sound of batter, cabbage, cheese, mayonnaise, egg mixed together sound like to you. Make that fried, and you get a delicious, heartattack-inducing "okonomiyaki" (the Japanese pancake).
What most Westerners associate with Japanese cooking is the term "healthy". Although I do agree with Kim, there are some delicious and healthy choice here. Living in Fukui, the water is fresh, clean and pure- a perfect ingredient to delectable rice and vegetables. Fukui is known locally and nationally for its production of rice, koshihikari.
Though rice is it's main exporter, what appeals to me are the fresh sweet potatoes. In season, they are incredibly delicious. What makes them even more appealing is the sweet-potato seller who frequents my area. He drives a small truck and blasts an announcement to the neighbourhood as he drives around. "Imo, oishii, yaki-imo, amai yo", he calls as I hear his bell dinging. Basically, he is soliciting his "delicious, sweet, fried sweet potatoes". Reminds me of the days when the knife-sharpener would drive around the neighbourhood.
Anyways, I've yet to purchase some of his delicious sweet potatoes, though I hear they come at a cost. Perhaps he includes door-to-door service in his charges.
Enjoy this clip and listen carefully.

Miscommunication... I loathe you.

It's been about 11 months since I arrived in Japan and I have yet to master this language. Mastering this language is some feat, though the regular Sunday classes are indeed helping. Personally, I feel I have somewhat of a basic grasp of the language, enough to carry a simple conversation or listen in on the new gossip in the teachers' room at school.
This, however, is about miscommunication. I'm sure I won't go a day without being misunderstood or without having some kind of language barrier.
"I said, I would NOT like a plastic bag with that food which is already covered in 3 layers of plastic".
But this one tops it all off. I was at the gym yesterday wearing my "Queen's University" T-shirt, you know, the gray one. A young guy working at the gym struck up a conversation with me, in Japanese about my shirt. Explaining to him I went to Queen's and the meaning of the name, he was intrigued that the head of State was the Queen of England. Through much explanation I tried to convey Canada as Constitutional Government with a bicameral legislature.
Both Japan and Canada have a prime minister as the head of legislature, and a monarch, the Queen of England and Emperor Akihito respectively. As you may, or may not know, the current prime minister in Japan is Taro Aso (referred to as Aso-san... people are called by their last name, followed by "san" as a sign of respect). Anyhow, I mentioned Aso-san to compare Japan with Canada's bicameral system, though I didn't think I could mispronounce Aso-san.
I managed to instead refer to the prime minister of Japan as Aso-san (a mountain in Kumamoto, Japan). I didn't extend my "o" at the end of Aso. It took me a while to realize I had confused my friend and that we had a misunderstanding.
Share your thoughts.

Communication is key!
PS: One thing I learned yesterday. The word for expert in Japanese is "Jouzu" which is made up of two Kanji... up and hand. Wanna know the etymology of the phrase "having the upper hand"? There you have it.

This little piggy (flu) went to America, This little piggy (flu) went to Japan

Back in the Meiji era, before the 20th century, Japan had been closed off to the Western world. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868-1912, Japan's doors opened and have since been open. Unfortunately for Japan, those doors cannot easily be closed any longer. A staggering 200+ cases of the new H1N1 Influenza have been reported and the virus has quickly manifested itself throughout the Kansai area of Japan, which includes the cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.
Never have I heard such grief, shock and troublesome among people before about a strain of an Influenza virus. It is said that the yearly Influenza kills more people than has the new N1H1 strain, however, that has not stopped the world from staying entirely cautious.
Perhaps a little too cautious, as the Japanese have been deemed, thousands of schools have been shut down and others left in panic after the strain entered Japan, supposedly through a few students studying on an exchange at Loyola Secondary High School in Oakville, Canada. It was later noted, by a teacher of mine that this school is approximately 30 minutes from Toronto. What he neglected to realize was that I am actually from Mississauga which is a mere 20 minutes drive from Oakville. But does distance really matter in this case? What bearing does me coming from Mississauga have on one catching the virus... absolutely NOTHING!
With news of the virus spreading out of the Kansai area and into the next prefecture over, the Board of Education was not taking any chances with the virus. Teachers who had visited the States were given a mandatory seven day quarantine, verifying their temperatures twice daily and reporting it to a local health clinic.
I nearly had to drown out the noise of the teachers' room, as I would constantly here these conversations: Japanese, Japanese, Japanese, INFLUENZA, Japanese, Japanese, Michael, Japanese, INFLUENZA. I just didn't want to get involved.
I've gotta hand it to them though, they do a great job at controlling the strain and taking precautions, as quarantines were quickly set up and health checks regularly administered as well.
However, I hear the Japanese have been known to overreact a little, and I will refer you to this article as evidence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1923_Great_Kant%C5%8D_earthquake#Post-quake_massacre_against_Koreans

On a related note, the Prime Minister of Isreal has stated he wants a change in the name of Swine Flu to Mexican Flu, as trustworthiness of pork has slipped.

No April Fools

It has been too long since I last wrote- however, I assure you that the inspiration has not subsided. Rather, on the flip side, there have been so many things to write about, I just haven't been able to sit down for a moment to write about a single one of them.
So where to start...
April.
April was the month of confusion and for lack of better words- chaotic. April also took me to various places, including a couple countries and April also forged a better relationship with my family. It was also the month I was able to see them (my family), even though brief, still unforgettable.
April started with a spring break trip to Hiroshima- a city of contrasts- a city with so much life it is hard to even imagine what happened the day of August 6, 1945. Though the grim feelings are still felt, it is most definitely a place everyone should visit. That's also the place I met my friends Shigeo and Yoshi, exploring Miyajima, where the famous Tori Gate stands in the straight between the island and mainland.
April continued with my birthday, which was uniquely celebrated Japanese style with my English club and some friends. A few rounds of bowling and I was in heaven. This marks the second time my birthday had been celebrated overseas, the first being on my first trip abroad to England on a grade 12 school trip.
My birthday also brought some rather unfortunate news. With the assistance of Japanese technology my sister contacted me through email on my cell phone with word of my grandmother's passing. Within a few moments I was on the phone with my sister and within an hour I was chatting with all three of my siblings. What struck me the most was the promptness of our desire to speak to one another. Technology most definitely facilitated this, however, I never saw my family react in such a powerful way with one another as I did then. How interesting, a family member's death can bring so many emotions and closeness to a family.
This prompted my trip to Canada, for a short, yet wonderful 4 days. I had no idea one could book a flight one day and the next be on their way to the other side of the world. Though the trip took approximately 20hours each way, the trip brought something much greater, an understanding of my family as just that, a family.
I have many memories of my grandmother, many of which I would like to share in more detail another time. I will say, hands down, that I was the closest of my siblings to my grandmother, though even still, it took her death to learn so many great things about her. One thing I will take from this experience is to learn much more about a person throughout their life rather than take things for granted. This implies learning all the wonderful things about them before it's just too late. My grandmother was a caring, and more importantly giving person. She not only shoveled her own, massive drive-way, but also ours, on those bitter cold snow days. "Vichnaya Pamyat".
One more point- friends. I cannot thank you, Melanie, Sarah and Jessie more than enough for the kindness you showed me during my stay in Canada. I don't want to sound so blase, though, I really love you all and you made that moment so memorable to me. I'll never forget that.
For everyone else who came to celebrate the life of my grandmother, thank you. From Bo, Pani Marta, Dr. Jacyk, the Romans, to everyone dear to me- Shchyro Dyakuyu.
For a brief intro of the next entry, the end of April also took me to Korea. Can't wait to share that!

AJET Elections. Block 5 Rep. Vote Mike! http://ajet.net/2009Elections/

Make a difference in your Block (Aichi, Gifu, Ishikawa, Toyama and last but not least Fukui!)
Vote for Mike for Block 5 Rep!
Have your JET number handy and click the link http://ajet.net/2009Elections/
You can trust me with your children and your vote ^ - ^

All you JETs, it’s election time!
Have you ever seen your block leader? Have you received mysterious e-mails from someone within your block with whom you have never met? Personally, I have seen a lack of cohesion amongst the prefectures of Block 5, within an organization that strives to promote grass roots internationalization.
I want to change all that. I want to solidify a bond between the ALTs within Block 5, to share, learn and promote the values of JET and our own experiences.
That being said, I believe it’s important, as the Block 5 leader, to do more for you to achieve those goals. I want to attend your mid-year conferences, meet with your AJET representatives in your prefecture and of course I want to get out to those unique festivals within each of your prefectures in order to interact with local people and get to know the customs in your prefecture.
Living in Fukui, I’m in a central location to visit each and every one of you. My skills in planning and organization will also be proved. My devotion to tasks will ensure that I am committed to trying new things and making Block 5 the best it can be.
My ability to interact and network will be achieved, helping Block 5 better integrate itself both in the local JET communities and the JET community as a whole.
Your vote will help me, so that I can help foster a community atmosphere within Block 5 and between other sectors, both among JETs and other members of the Japanese community.
Thank you,
Michael Kuziw

Ich habe Kopfschmerzen

It's been a while since my last post, and I apologize to all my readers out there.
This topic, however, definitely warranted a post- so I am back to my keyboard. In actuality, I have pondered this topic before, however until today it had not been personal.
So, let me cut the bullshit and get to the topic. Health. One can write about this topic for days, so I'm going to just scrape the surface, leaving out gender roles, policy, authority and law. Japan definitely does it their way. It all started with admitting to myself that I was sick- something I rarely do, even back in Canada. I wait for the last moment, until I must reap all the resources to get well again. In this case, I admitted it was a cold, or fever, or something in between. In Canada, I would rush over to the clinic to see the nearest doctor. Either clinics don't exist or its a perception of illness... regardless you MUST go to the hospital. Last time I was at the hospital was for surgery, so let's just say I became a little paranoid of what would happen to me.
In a few words, I went in a sick man and came out a drug addict. Where I would normally take upwards of 10 antibiotics (if I actually devoted myself to the prescription), I received 4 types of medications for 14 sittings, after each meal. Either the Japanese are pill-poppers or they are psychologically subdued into thinking they will become healthy again... or of course, it might just in fact take 56 Japanese pills to cure a headache, which of course may in fact be much weaker than Western pills, in the pill-popping society.
Efficiency, however, is the Japanese middle name. I was in and out within 30 minutes. Mind you, I live in the prefecture with the most hospitals per capita, yet one of the oldest one by age. I can't complain though, as a 22 year old receiving the same medical care as a 91 year old, rice-field working oba-chan.
One thing that struck me though, and it sounds so backwards... we are puzzled to think of a doctor smoking, however, imagine patients smoking inside the hospital. It WAS in the waiting room, I'll give them that.
Looks like it's just me, my mask-oh yeah, wearing a mask is habitual this time of year, for both protection against sickness and also to treat an illness- they have built-in medication to help progress recovery- and my pills for now. Ibuprofen anyone?

Agemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu

I remember New Years in the past. People ready to go out, party, and drink till the early mornings... because its the new year. And not to forget about that cliche kiss at midnight.

Well, all of that goes down the drain in the Japanese New Year. New Years here is what Christmas is in Western countries- celebrated with the family and enjoyed in remembrance of others. It is a time to be part of the family. One of the many things the Japanese do is visit the Shrine (if Shinto) or Temple (if Buddhist) to pray for a good new year.

The phrase "Agemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu" does not translate directly as "Happy New Year" but rather "hope your year is better than the last and all the best in the future". The meaning is there, but revered much more. One way to acknowledge the reverence of the saying is the many times one must bow when giving this phrase. It is almost robotic in nature to bow when hearing these words- or suspected words. In all cases, just bow.

Unfortunately, my first New Years abroad was also spent abroad, away from Japan, but I hope one day to experience the New Year- not to mention that food that is made specially for the New Year. And I thought the holiday glutony was bad in Canada- wait 'till you see this.