Year 2 - Hajime!
So a couple people wanted me to update my blog...I thought that I should give in finally. I will likely find something funny to talk about, but this is mostly an update of what is going on in my life.
For those of you that didn't know, my first year ended at the end of July, and now I have begun my second year of JET. Summer break has ended and this is my first week of classes in a while. Unfortunately, no one told the sun that summer was over, so it is still pretty freaking hot. I didn't really do very much this summer. I wanted to, but they actually make you go to work EVERYDAY during the summer even if the kids aren't here. Of course, this is Japan, so most of the kids come in for club activities during the summer, on the weekends, and whatever. This leads me to the first rule in my Generalized Theory of Japanese Society.
Generalized Theory of Japanese Society
Note: Due to Western Influence, many of the younger generation are no longer bound by these rules. Therefore, this is mainly for traditional Japanese society, not the pseudo-counter culture of Japanese Hip-Hop and such
Rule 1: Free time, also known in some scientific circles as "leisure time", is a very bad thing. Having any of this means you aren't a hard worker, and therefore a bad Japanese person. In order to improve your position in Japanese life, all free time MUST be converted into unpaid overtime work or a hobby of which you put your full work ethic into and can't possibly enjoy by any American standard. Unlike Western society, where free time is a goal to be achieved, here it is a bug to be squashed.
For example, the students go to school sometime between 7-8 AM and school ends around 4 PM. Not too different from America. But then they add something, club activities. Pretty much every student is expected to have a club activity, which requires them to stay another 2 hours each day, plus show up on weekends for extra practice. Missing a single day is like missing class and club activities are treated as supremely important, second only to class itself. This of course, also forces the teachers to stay, which is why I think club activities might have just been an excuse to give teachers something to do. Even without students here, they will often stay until 6 or 7, even though school is over around 4-5. But do not confuse productivity with the amount of work Japanese do, because they are unrelated. Which leads me to my next rule.
Rule 2: Productivity is irrelevant. The amount of time you spend "working" far exceeds the amount of work you accomplish. In fact, being productive is actually counterproductive to "work".
For example, if it takes me 15 minutes to create a worksheet, a Japanese person with the same skills will stretch it to 3 hours. He will be considered a better worker because he spent 3 hours on it, while I only spent 15 minutes. Even if I were to create two worksheets in 30 minutes, him creating one worksheet in 3 hours is better. In fact, I have gotten this feeling that completing assignments quickly is actually rude somehow. Like you are saying that you didn't consider the assignment worth a lot of time or that you aren't given enough work by your boss.
The worst example of this is how Japanese people will stay late with no work to do. Seriously, not a thing to do, but have to stay 3 hours after for unpaid overtime. I ask why, and it is because it is necessary for being a good Japanese worker. When I tell them they should just go home, they look at me as if I were some sad little child who just didn't get "it". Well, here I am saying, I GET IT! I JUST THINK IT IS STUPID! The same thing happens with my students. I ask them if they HAVE to go to club activities, and they say yes. I ask them why, and they just say they are supposed to. I should note at this point that these are still optional after school activities, but just aren't treated as such. They will sometimes tell me how tired they are and I tell them they should skip. That these aren't mandatory classes. They give me the same look as the adults like I just don't get it. This leads to the next rule.
Rule 3: There is no difference between what one should do and what one has to do. Here is the simplified equation: Optional == Mandatory
I honestly believe there is no difference in Japan. Granted, sometimes "optional" things in America are not optional, but this is like everything. If coming to a day at work is optional, every teacher will be there. I could think up more examples but it is not needed. I think you get this one based on the last Rule's example.
Rule 4: Lack of knowledge does not prevent a person from answering a question definitively.
This one gets really annoying really fast. Ask a Japanese person a question, and you will normally get a direct answer. It just often won't be right. What is worse is when you know for a fact that they are wrong, but can't call them out on it either. Here is an example conversation:
"Can I buy a ticket with my credit card?"
"Definitely not. You can't do that here."
"Are you sure? A couple friends said they have done it before."
"Nope. Not at this place."
Ignoring the Japanese person, you go buy a ticket with your card.
"I was able to to buy one."
"With your credit card? Really? Wow."
I guess they just assume that if THEY haven't done it before, it can't be done. Either that or they take an educated guess, but with a Japanese school system that pushes memorization over critical thinking, they aren't good guessers.
Anyways, I will get to some more rules later. Here is the rest of what has happened to me.
I saw Matsuyama(Biggest city on Shikoku, it is in Ehime Prefection) and Kochi(capital of the prefecture of the same name below me). I have gotten better at Japanese, bought a Nintendo Wii(only have used it at a party so far), bought a kanji game from my DS, bought a tempurpedic double sized bed so I don't have to sleep on futons, and had some medical issues come up.
I also dressed up like a ninja for a Pirates vs. Ninja party, failed my Japanese driving test twice, saw a bunch of my friends leave and a bunch of new ppl come. Some are really nerdy too, so I might have some classic geeky fun this year.
Well, first period just ended, so I guess I will post and maybe post later(big maybe). I have been considering another, more anonymous blog that only some select people will know is me so that I can post some less clean rants. My parents, grandparents, and some family friends read this, so...
For those of you that didn't know, my first year ended at the end of July, and now I have begun my second year of JET. Summer break has ended and this is my first week of classes in a while. Unfortunately, no one told the sun that summer was over, so it is still pretty freaking hot. I didn't really do very much this summer. I wanted to, but they actually make you go to work EVERYDAY during the summer even if the kids aren't here. Of course, this is Japan, so most of the kids come in for club activities during the summer, on the weekends, and whatever. This leads me to the first rule in my Generalized Theory of Japanese Society.
Generalized Theory of Japanese Society
Note: Due to Western Influence, many of the younger generation are no longer bound by these rules. Therefore, this is mainly for traditional Japanese society, not the pseudo-counter culture of Japanese Hip-Hop and such
Rule 1: Free time, also known in some scientific circles as "leisure time", is a very bad thing. Having any of this means you aren't a hard worker, and therefore a bad Japanese person. In order to improve your position in Japanese life, all free time MUST be converted into unpaid overtime work or a hobby of which you put your full work ethic into and can't possibly enjoy by any American standard. Unlike Western society, where free time is a goal to be achieved, here it is a bug to be squashed.
For example, the students go to school sometime between 7-8 AM and school ends around 4 PM. Not too different from America. But then they add something, club activities. Pretty much every student is expected to have a club activity, which requires them to stay another 2 hours each day, plus show up on weekends for extra practice. Missing a single day is like missing class and club activities are treated as supremely important, second only to class itself. This of course, also forces the teachers to stay, which is why I think club activities might have just been an excuse to give teachers something to do. Even without students here, they will often stay until 6 or 7, even though school is over around 4-5. But do not confuse productivity with the amount of work Japanese do, because they are unrelated. Which leads me to my next rule.
Rule 2: Productivity is irrelevant. The amount of time you spend "working" far exceeds the amount of work you accomplish. In fact, being productive is actually counterproductive to "work".
For example, if it takes me 15 minutes to create a worksheet, a Japanese person with the same skills will stretch it to 3 hours. He will be considered a better worker because he spent 3 hours on it, while I only spent 15 minutes. Even if I were to create two worksheets in 30 minutes, him creating one worksheet in 3 hours is better. In fact, I have gotten this feeling that completing assignments quickly is actually rude somehow. Like you are saying that you didn't consider the assignment worth a lot of time or that you aren't given enough work by your boss.
The worst example of this is how Japanese people will stay late with no work to do. Seriously, not a thing to do, but have to stay 3 hours after for unpaid overtime. I ask why, and it is because it is necessary for being a good Japanese worker. When I tell them they should just go home, they look at me as if I were some sad little child who just didn't get "it". Well, here I am saying, I GET IT! I JUST THINK IT IS STUPID! The same thing happens with my students. I ask them if they HAVE to go to club activities, and they say yes. I ask them why, and they just say they are supposed to. I should note at this point that these are still optional after school activities, but just aren't treated as such. They will sometimes tell me how tired they are and I tell them they should skip. That these aren't mandatory classes. They give me the same look as the adults like I just don't get it. This leads to the next rule.
Rule 3: There is no difference between what one should do and what one has to do. Here is the simplified equation: Optional == Mandatory
I honestly believe there is no difference in Japan. Granted, sometimes "optional" things in America are not optional, but this is like everything. If coming to a day at work is optional, every teacher will be there. I could think up more examples but it is not needed. I think you get this one based on the last Rule's example.
Rule 4: Lack of knowledge does not prevent a person from answering a question definitively.
This one gets really annoying really fast. Ask a Japanese person a question, and you will normally get a direct answer. It just often won't be right. What is worse is when you know for a fact that they are wrong, but can't call them out on it either. Here is an example conversation:
"Can I buy a ticket with my credit card?"
"Definitely not. You can't do that here."
"Are you sure? A couple friends said they have done it before."
"Nope. Not at this place."
Ignoring the Japanese person, you go buy a ticket with your card.
"I was able to to buy one."
"With your credit card? Really? Wow."
I guess they just assume that if THEY haven't done it before, it can't be done. Either that or they take an educated guess, but with a Japanese school system that pushes memorization over critical thinking, they aren't good guessers.
Anyways, I will get to some more rules later. Here is the rest of what has happened to me.
I saw Matsuyama(Biggest city on Shikoku, it is in Ehime Prefection) and Kochi(capital of the prefecture of the same name below me). I have gotten better at Japanese, bought a Nintendo Wii(only have used it at a party so far), bought a kanji game from my DS, bought a tempurpedic double sized bed so I don't have to sleep on futons, and had some medical issues come up.
I also dressed up like a ninja for a Pirates vs. Ninja party, failed my Japanese driving test twice, saw a bunch of my friends leave and a bunch of new ppl come. Some are really nerdy too, so I might have some classic geeky fun this year.
Well, first period just ended, so I guess I will post and maybe post later(big maybe). I have been considering another, more anonymous blog that only some select people will know is me so that I can post some less clean rants. My parents, grandparents, and some family friends read this, so...
posted by Omega037 @ 7:47 PM
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