In the News

Well, today I was in the paper...actually threepapers. One local Arai paper, one paper for Joetsu(which is like the Post Dispatch or large surroundingcity's paper,) and then the Niigata times, which is aprefecture wide newspaper (like a statewide paper) The only paper I have seen is the Joutsu times, andthe article is quite amusing. When I met the mayor yesterday he told me he had beento Saint Louis, (20 years ago). When he was in SaintLouis he met a lot of black people. And this is whathe remembers. The translator who was with me said hewas saying that the black people were rough- so I amsitting there smiling and wondering why he would betelling me this, (in actuality he was saying the blackpeople were singing.) (Karmen translated what he wassaying for me later, she did not want to interupt theEnglish teacher that they had sent as a translator.) He also said that small children wanted to carryhis bags for money, and that the black people weresinging by the vending machines, where you buy beer,"Ahhh... Budvisoar". Karmen and I had to have ourpictures taken and then we also had to have atape-recorded interview for the radio. Well back to the paper and the story that was printed. It talks about where we are from, how the mayor hasbeen to both towns (he was just in Slovenia visitingbecause the capital and Arai are sister cities) andhow he enjoyed them...it then goes on to say that inSaint Louis there are many black people singing nextto vending machines where you can buy beer and sake. Interesting story huh? There are some nice thingssaid about me, Carrie SublettSan, and how I am excitedto be here in Arai, take lots of pictures, and learnJapanese, and climb lots of mountains (?) (I had saidto them I want to climb Mt Fuji and summit themountain next to Arai, but i did not say this duringthe interview. I also never mentioned being aphotographer, ?.It is funny because it seems as though everyone knowsI brought my medium format camera. The way they foundout is that I asked the little camera store if theycould process my film there, so now the whole cityknows I have one(even the mayor asked me about it). They call it Big Camera, made in Japan. Which is trueI guess...but it is funny because these little thingsand thoughts are what people are building my identityhere on...Oh they will have a lot to get to know...Also yesterday was my enkai, or my welcome party. Itwas so much fun, they are making it so easy to fall inlove with the city and the people. My enkai was about30 people who got together to celebrate the arrival ofKarmen and I. In the Japanese culture at an enkai,which is very formal in manners, you start with an MC. He announces the arrival (or reason for event) andthen goes on to welcome us to arai (us being karmenand i). Then blah blah blah.. lots of speeches inJapanese... one of which was translated, and basicallythe translator kept saying over and over agian, welike you, you like arai, arai is excited, we areexcited, you are nice, arai is nice. blah blah blah...I had to give a speech in horrible Japanese, Karmentoo (but she is fluent), then.. kompei (which ischeers) during which you crack the sake and beer, andwine... then you eat the food, Served was yakatorichicken, which is like chicken terriyaki on a stick,sushi of all varieties, squid, tempura, cucumbersrolled in ham, shrimp, egg and tuna salad sandwiches,pretty much something for everyone (at least I wascontent). Your glass never gets empty, someone wasfilling my glass after every sip (and I had three glasses- "CarrieSan, do you likeJapanese sake?"... then they poured and made my sakecup full, "CarrieSensai, do you like Japanesewine?"...pour full wine glass, "CarrieSan, do you likeJapanese beer?"...pour full beer glass. There weretimes when all three of my cups would be full so theperson would sacrifice their own cup so I could havesome of whatever they were serving. Someone even wentand made me warm sake because they heard I like it..This is how an enkai works.And everyone (well all but 3 were drinking) getshammered. (By the way I would like to thank all myfriends at home for helping me in my preparation fordrinking events like this because I think I coulddrink everyone under the table last night- because Iconsider myself a lightweight) It was a lot of fun.Lots of socializing, watching everyone get drunk.. everyone asked about my camera because during the headof the BOE's (Board of Education) speech he mentionedmy big camera..more Asahi and sake, then we went tothe fireworks. (The superintendent made sure that ourparty was on the same day as the fireworks, so we allstumbled down the road to the city bridge where thefireworks were set off from, lots of oooing andahhhing, more stumbling, more people coming back fromthe convience store on the corner with even more sakeand beer (we drank the caterers dry at my enkai), andit was a great night. (We even saw some students andall the drunk teachers who tell you to not even smokein front of them were waving and yelling Helro (hello)or Good morning (it was 9 pm)). It was a great night, but it will never be talkedabout because that is how enkais go. After the fireworks we went back to TojoSensai's houseand had very fine sake- YamamotoSan said it is veryrare and hard to find- it was quite good, made fromplums. I saw a little trinket of a Daruma doll. Adaruma doll is a doll that comes with no pupils andare usually given at the beginning of a new year or ajourney. You fill in one eye at the beginning of thejourney or task for good luck, and then upon thecompletion you fill in the other eye. I had askedwhere i could get one earlier in the week when we wereshopping and was inquiring at TojoSensai's house ifthat is what i am suppose to be looking for, which itwas. TojoSensai's wife left the room and came backwith two Daruma dolls. and she gave them to me. Igave one to Karmen (a white one) and kept one formyself. We drew in the pupil, so now I should havegood luck here in Japan. A good journey and goodfortune.(The students just entered the room and are cleaningit- have i mentioned that they clean the school sincethere is no janitor? the crazy thing is no one seemsto mind.Well if you are still reading this I guess it wascoherent enough, (I am still feeling the after effectsof last night)sorry for the great length, lots to tell