today in japan we are celebrating setsuban. while at shuji this afternoon I learned the story. there was a farmer who was praying for rain (praying- more like asking in japan). he promised to whomever made it rain that they could marry his beautiful daughter. this awful devil fulfilled his wishes for rain and the farmer stood by his word, giving his daughter away. the daughter despised the devil she was wed to (who wouldnt?) and was always on the look out for an opportunity to run. once she escaped, but the devil followed and captured her. After he returned her to "their" home, her mother came to the rescue, as any good mother would. she fought off the devil by throwing "flying beans" at him! this surprising worked...and still works today to ward off evil and bring luck upon a household. way to go super mom!
setsubun is celebrated yearly in coordination with hunter and haynes riley's birthday. february third marks the beginning of spring here, although I have heard weather wise this isn't true. sadly. it is meant to cleanse evil from the previous year and drive away evil for the coming year. the act of throwing beans (roasted soybeans), mamemaki, at a member of the household wearing a devil mask is how the ritual is performed. or in the matsubabies case, we set the mask on the table. you are meant to chant "oni wa soto! fuku wa uchi!" which says, "demons out! luck in!" simple enough. following this you are to eat the number of roasted soybeans for your number of years...and depending on who you talk to maybe an extra to bring luck for the coming year.
last friday, I went to a math demonstration class at school. while there I write...
the woman on my left motions me to sit. I choose a desk along the back, next to the open window--but close to the sun. throughout the hour I struggle to recognize a single word. the students, who I ate lunch with a mere twenty minutes before, have completely transformed. masked and silent they sit. this is the first demonstration class I have attended that I was not an active part of. from what I can gather, the teacher's lesson is on probability, but do realize that this is an educated guess deducted after an hour of a language I can not understand. from what I understand these demonstration are a large part of the japanese education system. I myself have already participated in ten, one of which was solely focused on me. nerve-racking, you would think. the entire staff crowds the room frantically evaluating both the teacher and students. our math class today began with a special announcement of our "sensei" becoming a father this very morning--I found this our from a fellow english teacher who was kind enough to translate. this whole afternoon displays perfectly one of the cultural aspects of japan that I just cannot wrap my mind around...this man's wife had their first son, 10 am this very morning and he is at work? and if I was brave enough to stay late at work I am almost positive he will still be here! I like to think of myself as a hard worker, but being here, in this country, pry the question so prevalent in society-- quality vs quantity. It seems the mindset here is dedication with no wavering. there is no worth in quantity...or at least in my work environment at the junior high. it is all about the face time...and lets face it I can't but in more than 9 hours a day...nor do I want to sit any longer mindless at my desk...maybe I will put the other hours in the day towards changing the world...not changing the way japanese view a work environment. that is grounded firm in hundreds and hundreds of years in the beautiful culture.
" Me, I've seen forty-five years, and I've only figured out one thing. That's this: if a person would just make the effort, there's something to be learned from everything. From even the most ordinary, commonplace things, there's always something you can learn." Haruki Murakami, Pinball, 1973
all my arkansas love...
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