How is high school graduation like childbirth? Once in the actual moment, all careful preparation falls by the wayside. Three dear, generous tomodachis (friends) converged from points around Tokyo at Motomachi Chukagai eki (Chinatown station) to help parents applaud as musume-chan accepted her YIS (Yokohama International School) diploma on a Thursday evening. With a 7 PM ceremony two joined our family for an early bird supper; the third opted to meet at the school. Only the Trattoria at Barney's Yokohama was open for business at that unsophisticated hour, which turned out to be perfect. (Barney's is a popular label among Tokyoites.) The graduand (as seniors are called at YIS) changed into her evening clothes in the loo.
Yokohama, where the Queen Mary docks, boasts an ocean breeze no matter how high the temperature climbs. Sadly, the breeze was not invited to the ceremony: Looking crisp upon entry into the gymnasium, parents in kimono and serious finery soon wilted with just a Kyoto-standard issue fan blowing down in the enormous space. Soon guests unfolded hand fans, and before long programs turned into impromptu fans. The heat took its toll on our camera, which meant relying on generous tomodachis to record the event. After the student orchestra scratched out a prelude, school administrators expressed gratitude for all their colleagues-- except each other. Headmaster, in his final address before a transfer to Munich, described the circuitous path of his career from failed med student to school administrator; parents understood. By contrast student speeches were witty, irreverent and suitably sarcastic. Remarks in English from the guest of honor, the Governor of Kanagawa, were pithy and pertinent to the host country.
After 90 minutes the red-robed graduands strode to the stage for the handshake and leather bound diploma in two languages. High School Principal introduced each by name with a sentence about future plans, covering an enormous gamut ("Interpol agent," "science teacher," "pharmacist," "stock broker," "ski instructor," "model," "artist," many "don't yet know"). Musume expressed the desire to perfect her nihongo in order to become an interpreter and translator. After another musical interlude, hats thrown high, 59 international students embraced each other in a sweaty group hug and little ladies with trays served bottles of mineral water and Coke. A final nonalcoholic toast with everyone raising a glass of Appletizer, and finally in their status as graduates the whole gang took off into the cool wilds of Shibuya not to be seen again until long after sunrise.
Showing posts with label Yokohama International School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yokohama International School. Show all posts
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Rainy Season (tsuyu)
Full attendance of five ladies in gray tones around the table for English Conversation on the Wednesday that marked the start of rainy season. Composer-san, 15 minutes late as usual, has been in the kitchen since 5 AM stirring vegetable soup and preparing obento (lunch boxes) for her grown daughters and husband-- isogashii (busy). Two ladies slipped out of raincoats (one black, one white). With musume (daughter) about to graduate from high school, I circulated a prom photo. How grown up Western girls of 18 with lipstick appear! Thanks to Hollywood, our group has witnessed proms on the silver screen. Nihon no onna no ko (girls, literally : little women) are mere babies! Musume has an enviable alabaster complexion, they noted. (Drugstore shelves are laden with skin whitening products.) Like Princess Masako, I revealed, I needed medical intervention to have a baby; I pulled out the book I wrote 10 years back that describes my adventures in fertility treatment.
"What is the English word that describes how you must feel now?" asked obaasan (grandma) of five. "Grateful" was the best my limited vocabulary could muster; nihongo offered a richer variety of adjectives (kangai, bugai) for feelings of joy, pain and reaching a goal after much hard work. Current events provided two hot topics: the premiere of Sex and the City 2, and the appointment of a new prime minister. Since Composer-san's family is busy making music, they have no time for television; in fact, she does not own a TV so just smiles broadly as she often does. Who is Sarah Jessica Parker? she wondered. Obaasan objected to the nudity, Chef-san looked forward to the fashions and Traveler-san chuckled at the prospect of light comedy. Driver-san was most informed on the actresses, perhaps since her daughter now lives in New York. All voted Kim Cattrall the most attractive of the bunch.
As for the government shake-up, the group had high hopes for the new leader, Naoto Kan. "Our last prime minister and many of his cabinet members come from rich backgrounds," said Chef-san, leading to a discussion of the idiom "born with a silver spoon." Humorously, Kan's unofficial slogan is "Yes we Kan." Obaasan elaborated: "Mr Kan comes from a regular family and his wife is very intelligent. We call her the Japanese Hillary. Every night she debates with her husband and he usually loses." Then why isn't Mrs Kan prime minister? I carefully posed. Obaasan replied," It is not in our culture." In the US we tell girls they can grow up to run for president, why not here? "Our lifestyle will change," was the consensus of these accomplished, well-traveled women. What of the Sex and The City roles? "Yes, we have more career women in Japan now but...it is a slow process." Yet how quickly the past 18 years have flown! At sundown tomorrow parents of 50-odd students will attend Yokohama International School graduation ceremony.
"What is the English word that describes how you must feel now?" asked obaasan (grandma) of five. "Grateful" was the best my limited vocabulary could muster; nihongo offered a richer variety of adjectives (kangai, bugai) for feelings of joy, pain and reaching a goal after much hard work. Current events provided two hot topics: the premiere of Sex and the City 2, and the appointment of a new prime minister. Since Composer-san's family is busy making music, they have no time for television; in fact, she does not own a TV so just smiles broadly as she often does. Who is Sarah Jessica Parker? she wondered. Obaasan objected to the nudity, Chef-san looked forward to the fashions and Traveler-san chuckled at the prospect of light comedy. Driver-san was most informed on the actresses, perhaps since her daughter now lives in New York. All voted Kim Cattrall the most attractive of the bunch.
As for the government shake-up, the group had high hopes for the new leader, Naoto Kan. "Our last prime minister and many of his cabinet members come from rich backgrounds," said Chef-san, leading to a discussion of the idiom "born with a silver spoon." Humorously, Kan's unofficial slogan is "Yes we Kan." Obaasan elaborated: "Mr Kan comes from a regular family and his wife is very intelligent. We call her the Japanese Hillary. Every night she debates with her husband and he usually loses." Then why isn't Mrs Kan prime minister? I carefully posed. Obaasan replied," It is not in our culture." In the US we tell girls they can grow up to run for president, why not here? "Our lifestyle will change," was the consensus of these accomplished, well-traveled women. What of the Sex and The City roles? "Yes, we have more career women in Japan now but...it is a slow process." Yet how quickly the past 18 years have flown! At sundown tomorrow parents of 50-odd students will attend Yokohama International School graduation ceremony.
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Art of Rubbish
Tokyoites divide trash into burnable and non, forcing everyone to consider what is going into the bin. How to determine a nonburnable, beside lighting a match to it? Residents at the Manor rely on the in-house expert who keeps the trash room neater than the average teenager's bedroom. No matter how fastidious Manor folks are about separating their detritus, Mr. Clean inspects each garbage bag to prevent mistakes that might incur fines from Minato-ku (harbor ward). A 27 page booklet on the subject explains more categories than one might expect. Sadly, the rules shifted last year, confusing gaijin (foreigners) even further. Sanitation workers will not accept garbage unless properly divided, sorted and wrapped. On collection days plastic bags are rounded up in blue netting to deter gangs of crows from pecking their way in, which they manage to do in any case.
Bins in the Juban come in pairs to allow for proper disposal. Once on a mountain hike with nihonjin, I dangled a banana peel carelessly. "Carry it home," I was advised. "But if we don't see you throw it away, you may." (Confession: it ended up under a tree.) Three years ago when Minato-ku's streets gleamed, I observed a child call out to a woman riding a bicycle; a tissue had fallen from her pocket. She stopped to collect it. Since the economic downturn of 2008 litter seems to be on the upswing, with cigarette butts the biggest offender. Wide as mailboxes, street ashtrays invite customers to congregate by corners since the law requires smokers to stand and puff together. Perhaps they prefer the bus stop for the Number 96 to Shinagawa, judging by the number of butts now underfoot.
"I started out in computers," Mr. Clean told me in perfect English. "When my mother fell ill, I switched to this job since it gives me more time to look after her." When he noted how many empty cans of essa (cat food) this Manor resident adds to the building's refuse, he pulled out his keitai (cell phone) to share photos of his three neko-chans (cats)-- adopted strays. (Tokyo has a tribe of well-fed stray cats, looked after by legions of women on bicycles rather than a non-profit org.) Lately, our refuse has become heavy on paper with high school practice exams. Is it only ten days until seniors don red gowns for graduation at Yokohama International?
Bins in the Juban come in pairs to allow for proper disposal. Once on a mountain hike with nihonjin, I dangled a banana peel carelessly. "Carry it home," I was advised. "But if we don't see you throw it away, you may." (Confession: it ended up under a tree.) Three years ago when Minato-ku's streets gleamed, I observed a child call out to a woman riding a bicycle; a tissue had fallen from her pocket. She stopped to collect it. Since the economic downturn of 2008 litter seems to be on the upswing, with cigarette butts the biggest offender. Wide as mailboxes, street ashtrays invite customers to congregate by corners since the law requires smokers to stand and puff together. Perhaps they prefer the bus stop for the Number 96 to Shinagawa, judging by the number of butts now underfoot.
"I started out in computers," Mr. Clean told me in perfect English. "When my mother fell ill, I switched to this job since it gives me more time to look after her." When he noted how many empty cans of essa (cat food) this Manor resident adds to the building's refuse, he pulled out his keitai (cell phone) to share photos of his three neko-chans (cats)-- adopted strays. (Tokyo has a tribe of well-fed stray cats, looked after by legions of women on bicycles rather than a non-profit org.) Lately, our refuse has become heavy on paper with high school practice exams. Is it only ten days until seniors don red gowns for graduation at Yokohama International?
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