Voice of Will: Why I Love Tokyo

2007-05-18 - 7:35 p.m.
why I love tokyo
So there are many reasons to love tokyo, and a few to hate it.
Here are two examples of why I like tokyo so much.
I was out on tuesday evening with one of criss's co workers named Andy. We were supposed to be going to a club to see a Japanese Jazz band. Andy had heard about this concert about a week ago, and had asked if I wanted to tag along. So I said, sure. And off we went. Well there was one major problem. Andy had gotten the times wrong. He thought the doors opened at 8, and the band started playing at 9. No. At 8 we showed up, but there was NO ONE. The place was completely empty. oookkkkkaaaayy. We went across the street to chill out in this little coffee place. at 9 someone showed up at the venue, so we went over and talked to this guy. It appears andy was WAY wrong on the times. the doors didn't open until 10 and the band wasn't going to start playing until 11.
Now that kinda killed the mood. Andy had to teach the next morning, and I really didn't want to be out until 1am, especially since the trains stop at 1, so if we missed the train, we would have to either hike back (like 15 miles away), or rent a cab at $6.00 a 1/2 mile. Either way could get pretty expensive.
So we changed the plans, and decided to just explore shibuya prefecture. Think of a suburb of tokyo, that is what a prefecture is. Now I love shibuya. I just love the way it rolls off the tongue (she boo yah!) It sounds like something obscenely physical and obviously filled with bodily fluids...She boo yah! So we walked around, looked at shops, chatted, found a music store... and on the way to the train at about 10:40 we stumble on this full 9 piece ska band on the street sidewalk.
Now get this image. You have 9 muscians in black pin stripe suits, wearing sunglasses. there are lots of brass instruments, a couple of guitars, and a drum set. About half have punked hair (ie mo-hawks) and the other half have anime hair.
ON the sidewalk at 10:40 pm playing about a dozen songs, and selling their CD on a Tuesday. In shibuya.
How random is that? (ps we bought a CD. They are called Empty Black Box. Look them up and if you can find it, they are really pretty good. great beat, uptempo, and they sound fantastic.)
This leads me to my second great experience this week. So I had to mail some documents for Criss to the UAE for the job we are moving to in August. Well the local post office doesn't have anyone who speaks ANY english, but they are great folks, and lots of help. Often when I try to mail things, I learn about japanese postal system, and pick up new japanese words.
Now have you ever tried to tell someone you wanted to ship something to another country, when you don't speak their language? Country names are NOT all the same in different countries.
So I walk up to the teller (my favorite one too.) and ask her if she has ever heard of the UAE. blank confused face. Ok. I show her the envelope. It says United Arab Emirates. she asks, "America?" hopefully. No, I tell her. then "chugo?" (which is china, and the teller knows I ship lots of stuff to china)... No.


Now we have several possibilities at this point. She could say wakarimasen (I don't understand) and tell me to go away, she could try to pantomime it out, or pretend she knows and just randomly ship it somewhere. Or she could do this...
She goes to another teller who speaks some english (more english than I speak Japanese) and she can understand NOT America, NOT china, NOT japan. Ok. She starts digging out a "first 1000 words in english" book. So we look through it, but I don't really figure that United Arab Emirates is exactly one of the first 1000 words in english people learn... go figure. So I try globe. Nope. globe is not in the distinguished list either.... we finally get to Map. and world. OK now we are in business.
They ask me to wait, and one of them goes in to the back and I can see her digging through boxes, and I can understand her saying.. "I know it is here somewhere." After about 10 minutes there is a triumphant cry from the boxes. And she comes out waving this old, battered, but very noticeable ATLAS. (YES!!!! I could have kissed her)
so we open the atlas to the world map, and I show them the UAE. Well I show UAE, but they read ARABIA (from saudi arabia). I have to tell them NNNNOOOOO. UAE, this little part. Then we flip through the atlas, and finally find the UAE on the map, and let me tell you, the Japanese name is like 28 letters long.
But by this time, we were all laughing, and joking around. So to make a long story shorter (too late), I managed to mail criss's paperwork with the minimum of fuss, and lots of help from a very supportive post office.
These some of the reasons I will miss tokyo. The people here are really nice. Not all of them, not all the time. But if you try to speak Japanese first, they will be very helpful. It is just the ignorant tourists who get ignored.
p.s. Today the high temperature was 68 degrees, and it rained over 3/4 of the day. Long, loud thundering rain. The flowers are blooming all over tokyo, so you can't walk down the street without smelling roses, carnations, wisteria, and all the other scents, and the city is alive with vibrant colors. I think I will miss that most of all.
p.p.s. this coming month is going to be very busy. Sumo on Sunday, Myspace secret show japan on monday, I go to china on may 30th until june 6th, and on june 9th we will be going to the ghibli museum to see mae and the kittenbus. And next month we will be doing tokyo disneyland before going to the UAE.

Voice of Will: A Year Difference

2007-04-07 - 3:16 a.m.
What a difference a year makes.
So where to begin....
lets see.
Last year when we were working at SIAS, at this time were under the impression that we'd be invited back, so we had made several large purchases for our third year in china. We had not been looking for work, and so when we were not invited back, it was a shock.

This year, there have been rumbles about criss having a family, and not living where the other teachers live. This is an issue in Japan, because like in China appearance is about 75% of what people base their decisions on. So since we dont' live with the others, we are different. Because we used the office staff to help get our kids enrolled in public school, we are trouble makers (it doesn't matter that the office staff asked to help us, volunteered to help us, this LOOKS like we are using them outside their job duties). This led to criss being told in the middle of february to "cross your fingers about coming back, but explore your options."
So criss went to Seattle's TESOL Conference to get some needed perspective, and to "explore her options."
So we have started to get back job offers, and notifications of being on short lists for interviews.
Now the quandry. Which schools should we pick?

Offer 1. Working at an college for excellence in education. Ie criss will teach teachers. She will have about 20 contact hours, 7 hours of office hours, and probably needed to work another 20 to 25 hours a week lesson planning and grading. She is offered $52k a year, roundtrip airfare for all 5 of us, a set of roundtrip vacation airfare for 5 to return to the US for vacations, housing (three or four bedroom), medical insurance, and the kids go to a british expat school for free. And there is a standing job offer for me at the same school if I can finish my MA in Ed tech by january. This school is in the UAE (abu dhabi) 3 year contract
offer 2. almost exactly the same as above, but the salary is 55k, and they pay a housing and schooling supplement (but it should let us rent a 3 bedroom flat, and pay for the kids to go to british expat school.) No job offer for me, but I could find a job pretty easy. Also in the UAE. 3 year contract
Offer 4. Turkey. Istanbul. 30k a year, a 2 bedroom apartment, airfare for 5 there. Criss would teach 16 hours a week, and have lots of well done and very thorougher support material. No job offer for me, and no the kids schooling is not included. year to year contract

Offer 5. marshall Islands. 20 to 30k a year. 2 year contract. 12 to 15 contact hours of teaching. 5 hours office hours. and about 10 hours of lesson planning. (this position is what she taught in china for 2 years.. lesson plans are done dude). Kids schooling is not paid, but the private school there is very affordable. They pay for airfare for 5, they provide a housing supplement that should let us rent a 3 bedroom flat. But dont' know about a job for me. And a developing country (brown outs/ blackouts/ drought/limited running water)
And these are just the most interesting offers.

Some of you may ask, what about returning to the states... Sorry to say, that is not in the cards for at least 2 to 3 more years. We cant' afford it.

The question is... which one should we take?

I wish I knew a cut and dried answer, but I see benefits with all 5 positions, and drawbacks for all of them too. Any suggestions?

Voice of Will: Days without Criss

2007-03-28 - 3:25 p.m.
So it has been one of those fortnights from hell. gRRRRR.....
Here I am on top of my classes, doing well, understanding what i am supposed to be doing.
And in the span of 2 weeks, I am behind and scrambling to catch up.
lets see.
1. We just found out we will not be invited back here next year. Primarily because we are a family, and it makes it difficult for the Japanese staff at the university. Not because criss is a bad teacher (on the contrary, she has evals saying she rocks). So we have been scrambling trying to find where we will go in august.
2. My daughter developed some sort of rash on her back and shoulder that spread across her whole back in a matter of 2 days. The doctors say it is exima (a type of skin condition that is brought on by the skin drying out, rubbing against rough clothing etc...) but we had 3 days of hell trying ot get her into a doctor who could explain what was happening in english.
3. Criss went to the TESOL conference in Seattle. When she is not here, I don't sleep. I can't seem to focus on what I am doing, and it is exceptionally difficult to do ANYTHING. It wouldn't have been so bad but
4. the kids finished school for the year. they graduated to their next grade level (which is great) but they have been off school for the last 10 days, and will be off for another week. so that means that even when I wanted/could focus on school, I'd get 10 minutes then screaming kids... fighting kids... or just normal kids who want to go out and play with dad.
so that is my screwed up last 2 weeks.
But the benefit is

1. criss is back, and she was offered 3 positions outright at TESOL that are pretty good options to choose from
2. Rae's back is better, and the exima is gone (for now)
3. The kids start school again on monday

Voice of Will: Decision Time

2007-03-11 - 9:11 p.m.
we have some interesting decisions to make, and we have about 2 - 2 1/2 months to make them. We have been getting the impression that we won't be asked back. and it is all because of the family. Everyone in Criss's office got a letter stating We want you back, but can't tell you until after we interview at TESOL. Criss got one saying, we'll let you know after TESOL. So, that little missing verbage has us scrambling looking for where to go next.
We can do the UAE and Dubai. They pay great, pay for all of our airfare, apartment, and the kids can go to an international expat school for free. But it is the UAE, and Iran is on the other side of that waterway.
Criss has about 20 job applications in the states in, and we will be hearing from them probably in the next 4 weeks.
And today we found a reallllllly interesting spot in the Marshall Islands (on Majuro, which was well outside the fallout zone from the bikini atoll a bomb tests.) They would pay airfare for the family, give a housing subsidy, and there are international schools that are really cheap. Criss would be teaching for the highest school in the marshall islands (which is funny considering it is an accredited community college).
Beyond that, the kids have been taking kendo for the last month. Yesterday, they were officially invited to join the club, and their earned their shanai. So that is going well. No matter if we come back to japan or not, we will be attending every kendo meeting so the kids can learn it, and then we will be taking the shanai (and armor when we earn the right to wear it) with us, and then practicing fights in our yard wherever we end up.
My classes are going well. I keep updating my nau webpage with new stuff for each class... So that works out well. Not doing bad is kind of nice. AT the end of this semester I'll have 6 classes to take before I can graduate. I'm going to take 3 over the summer, and 3 in the fall so I can finish by Dec.
These last 3 weeks have been hell on criss and all the teachers here. First their boss from Montana came to visit, and the teachers were teaching an intensive TOEFL class. This meant all the teachers were working 12 hour days or more, 6 days a week for 2 weeks for this course. Then they had 1 day to relax before having to teach an "english camp" for 5 days.
And during all this criss has to have her boss visit her class, her Japanese boss visit her classes as well. And of course, those days were completely hectic, and the lessons and ideas fizzled completely.
Oh well.... either they invite us back (and we take it), or they let us go and we move on elsewhere.
Of course that might be a little more difficult. Apparently you never, ever want to fly in AUGUST to or from japan. It is tourist season, and the prices of airline flights go from $800 a person, to $1600 a person to go to phoenix, az.
So that is a nice increase in price of $4000 that we had budgeted for a new car.... oh welll....
I'm hoping the Marshall islands contacts us.... I'd love to be a beach bum, and go snorkeling and scuba diving every other day....

Voices of Will: Gapped Toothed MadMen

2007-01-29 - 9:44 a.m.
Well at least their spirit of destruction to their enemies is. Their souls still stir in the hearts of anyone who rides a bicycle in Tokyo.
Yes, bicycles. They are the menace to society. And it is all because the Japanese are so darned law abiding. You see the law says that bicycles cannot be ridden in the streets. So they must be ridden on the sidewalk. Now these sidewalks are about 2 meters wide, meaning there is just enough room for 2 people to walk side by side comfortably, or one person going each way. Now you throw in bike riders. Not casually riding along, NNNOOOOOOO screaming down the sidewalk, only to apply the hand brakes when there is no possible way to stop in time, causing all people to jump back, as the bike blows through the area the people were in.
I have watched bicycles run over people, slam into other bicycles, and even try to win an arguement with a moving car.
now it isn't as dangeous as taking a taxi in central china. You don' t get that thrill of 'have I just put my life in the hands of some madman who thinks he could be a formula 1 driver?" No, the feeling you get is that feeling of dread you would have if you lived in the movie Deathrace.. "can i come out of this building? can I move around this person slwoer than me?" then SSSSSSCCCCCRRRRREEEEEEE and as you duck for cover there is a giggling japanese person riding off.
So the world needs to know that inside every one on a bicycle there is a gap toothed grinning madman!

Voice of Will: Holidays

2006-12-31 - 1:00 p.m.
I love this time of year, and I also loathe it at the same time. I remember how important christmas was to me as a kid. Seeing family, visiting with friends, and of course getting presents.

As an adult, it has changed some, and having kids it has changed a lot. And yet, it hasn't changed too much. I look forward to hearing from family members, being with the kids, and now giving presents. In fact, I gain more pleasure from seeing the kids faces light up, and having crissy smile when I have given a good present.
This year it was a christmas tree that brought the smile.

You see in our family we have a tradition of having a "little tree" that we get, and it magically transforms into a full sized tree on christmas eve. Now the tradition started when the kids were all really little. In fact it started when Will Jr. was 3. (so zeb was 18 months, and rae was newborn). We had a little fake tree in the house. We were living in family housing at NAU and absolutely broke. (college, three kids you do the math). On christmas eve I went to walmart to pick up some kids cold medicine, and they were giving away their last few quasi charilie brown christmas trees that they couldn't sell. I picked one up, and brought it home. That night Criss and I set it up. It wasn't a big deal. That morning brought Will jr running into our room yelling that "Santa made the tree grow!" It was precious, and adorable.

And since that time we have made our tree grow ever christmas eve. The kids all still get up early and have wonder in their eyes and voices. I don't expect this tradition will remain much longer though. Will Jr is actively questioning the idea of Santa (good boy to question it, but it does kind of remove some of the fun). Zeb is on the border of whether he believes in santa, and Rae still does and argues with Will jr about it.

So we were trying to make the tree grow here. Finding a christmas tree was an adventure. And it isn't a real tree. But we did find really nice fake trees that come fully decorated. The japanese do know how to do it. They sell the tree, with all of the decorations in the box. So after the kids were asleep, criss and I opened the box and built the tree. It is about 2 meters high (6 feet). It came with plastic glossy balls, 2 beaded strings, a sting of colored lights, a large ribbon. When we were out we picked up some decorations for our little tree, and they got put on the new one, and it was topped with our christmas star. It is beautiful. In fact it is the prettiest tree we have ever had. It made criss cry, and smile, and cuddle me. So I guess it was a success.

Tomorrow is Zeb's birthday, so last night we let him choose where we would go for dinner. he could choose Coco's, Denny's, or sushi. He chose sushi. Our kids are amazing. They have adapted so well to Japan, it is scary at times. Sushi was a fun blast.

What I thought was fascinating was the shinto priests were out last night. They were walking through the neighborhoods, beating wooden sticks that make a tremendous CLACK noise. this is apparently in advance of new years. The shinto priests go through the neighborhoods, clacking and chanting to drive away evil spirits. Well as we walked to sushi, the priests turned a corner behind us, and their route followed our exactly. IN fact they were about 10 meters behind us, chanting and clacking all the way to sushi almost from our house. So for a nice 10 minute walk we were being driven out! It was too funny, the idea that the shinto priests were driving us out, cuz we are evil spirits. well they drove us to sushi anyways.

Voice of Will: Tokyo vs China

2006-12-17 - 2:41 a.m.

on some levels tokyo is better than china, and on some it is worse..
the quality of life is so much higher here than where we werein henan china (pronounced like you are hacking up a lung HHHgggguuuu nan) we lived in the poorest most populated province of china.so the quality of life in china was extremely low. many people had broken windows, holes in walls etc.. and the temperature would bet to 10 degrees Fahrenheit in winter.

Simple things like weather stripping was non existent, insulation was a joke.most people would have to travel about 1/2 mile to get "safe" water (or they would drink it from the tap (you think the US has lax standards under republican for water safety, us water by comparison is the fountain of youth)yet in china we lived like kings. Criss made a US professors salary (low for professor, but 10x more a month that the chinese made) and I was making chinese professors wages and that was 4x higher than the average chinese citizen.In china we lived like kings (lots of money, lots of personal items, really easy job that I loved). but it was soul draining seeing people literally scratching their way from nothing to get nothing. watching them work and work and knowing they were going to die early. Looking at the pollution and knowing lung cancer, skin cancer, and all kinds of other things awaited them. It made me very glad to be an american with opportunities around the world.

I miss the freedom that i had with having excess money in china.

I would give 1/4 to 1/3 of my salary to different causes.

There were several ways. our school was exceedingly expensive. we had 2 kinds of students, the super rich and arrogant, and the kids from poor villages where the whole village would put them into school. but they wouldn't' have enough money to eat. i supported 4 students from orphanages, or who had parents who died.
One of the worst things about china was the corruption.
if you give money to organizations, the money disappears, unless you get signed receipts and a paper trail to different places. and that is almost impossible to get.

i also helped set up things to make the students who wanted to make it out to america easier. GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, LSAT test prep. writing centers.

I got copies of all the study books, and made copies for the students and ran weekly study groupsmost want america, but the visa is a major issue. america and china keep it very stringent.chinese need a promisary letter (ie if they bail, this person is responsible) and the hard part is they have to hold 400,000 RMB in a bank escrow for 6 months untouched at all to prove they ahve the money to come. that is $50,000.exactly. so only the richest can afford the visa on their own. if you are a good student (not great) an dno one offers you a scholarship, you are stuck in china. to get into the graduate school is damn near impossible in china.
and to top it all off, it is also based on relationships. so for example you might get into graduate school because your parents have money, own a big potatoe chip factory (I literally ment you) because the school would want theri moeny, but a student from a village would hav eno such pull. think nepotism but 100x worse.in japan it is so clean. so nice. so rigid. I kwow the people clean up after themselves. the quality of life is fantastic. but it is at a price of $, and in a way freedom.

there are so many expectations, so many unspoken rules and conventions it jsut can weigh on you.
how does that statement go... death is light as a feather, but duty is heavier than a mountain.

just organizing my thoughts on china vs japan. where is my home. my home is with my criss and the kids. still looking for home.