Festival Labor?

Sunday was a day that started out rather frustrating, but turned out to be not so bad. I woke up early, around half past six in order to start my laundry before I had to catch the bus to the festival. I had all my laundry already in my bag from the night before, so I slipped on my slippers and walked downstairs to the laundry room to start my laundry so that it would be finished washing just before the festival. Then, I figured I could hang it up to dry, catch the bus, and then when I came back eight hours later, everything would be dry so that I could put it away.

As stupid as it sounds, I completely relied on the total naivety that Japanese washer machines would be similar to those in America. As well, I figured that if it wasn't, I could just read the directions. Not even going to lie, I was momentarily shocked when I saw everything in kanji. Right away I knew this could turn out to be very disastrous.

I put my whites in one washer and everything else in another washer, then looked at the kanji translation sheet. I compared each kanji and managed to figure out each button's meaning. However, that still didn't help me understand how to actually work the washer. After ten minutes of staring at the sheet and the washer, I eventually came back up to my room and shamefully knocked on Jackie's door.

Jackie came down with me and showed me what to do. Japanese washer machines weigh the amount of clothes in the washer for you, an automatically puts in the correct amount of water as well as listing the amount of detergent needed. I had to press the button for "on" to turn on the machine, and then "start" which swished my clothes around in order to weigh them. Then the swishing stopped and water started to pour into the washer machine. A little screen showed me how much detergent to put into the machine, which I had already done, and then I closed the lid and let it wash.

I came upstairs, took a quick shower and got dressed, then went back downstairs to check on my laundry. The amount of time it takes to wash clothes in Japan also depends on the amount of clothes in the machine. (One of my loads was 47 minutes and the other was 51 minutes). When I got down there, the machine said that I still had ten minutes which didn't work because in ten minutes I was supposed to get on the bus to go to the festival. Once again, I went upstairs to Jackie's part of the apartment and asked if she could take out my laundry and put it in the dryer. I left some 100 yen coins on the table and hurried to catch the bus.

Thank you, Jackie!!!

The bus ride was at 7:40, and we left at 7:45 for Mount Takatori. There was a driver as well as a person who was from the festival to help us. He didn't speak much English, and tried to communicate with us through Jess's translating. (The guy from Texas). The bus eventually stopped at another stop and four Japanese university students got on. During the half hour ride to Mount Takatori, all four of the (somewhat reluctantly) introduced themselves. They were not from Shiga Daigaku, but another university within Kansai.

When we arrived at the festival, I was shocked to find out that everyone was going to be hiking. Because of my laundry, I wore only what was available- a skirt, button down shirt and sandals. Those are not hiking clothes. From the flyer, I had assumed that we were going to be abel to choose what we wanted to do, and mostly walk around the area looking at Japanese culture and talking with the Japanese people.

The festival actually reminded me of a mini Fourth of July picnic. There was ice cream, little booths with food, a chainsaw carver, games for children, a pavilion for eating and small crafts tables. There were lots of children there as well.

Back to getting off the bus, the man divided us into three groups. Four people were in the ice cream group, eight (including myself) were in the pizza group and everyone else was in the hiking group. We then went to our stations and got to know the people in charge of specific tasks.

None of the fourth year students were with us, and only a handful of the third year students were there as well. In addition, everyone at the festival spoke very little or no Japanese. One of the first years ended up attempting to translate what the woman in the pizza building was saying. The woman said something, and for some reason the girl said "Wakarimashita" (I understand). All of the Japanese people then sighed and were all very happy. I had originally been standing at the back of the group, trying to get a feel for the festival, but after the Japanese reaction, I headed up to the front to figure out what was going on. I turned to the girl who said "Wakarimashita" and said to her:

"What did they just say?" in an attempt to find out what she had agreed our group into.

"I have no idea."

What?!

Tip in case you go to ANY foreign country: If you are talking with a group of people, particularly in a place where there are no liasons (none of the teachers or JCMU faculty came with us), and you don't know what they are saying, don't say "I understand" to whatever they say. Draw pictures, move your hands, do something, but don't just say "I understand".

So what had we gotten ourselves into? Apparently, we knew that we were going to be staffing the festival.

That part was not on the flyer. However, because "we understood", we had to work for the day at our respective locations.

Our group was full of a bunch of grumpy people by that time (it was starting to rain) but Drea and I decided to make the best of it. We got our group together and both took charge, telling everyone that we were there until four o'clock anyway, we might as well learn and try to have a good time despite the weather and situation. We're in Japan- speak Japanese with Japanese people while making American pizza (we even made a Chicago-style pizza for kicks).

For three hours, we helped people by showing them how to stretch the pizza dough (kiji) how to spread the sauce (in a circle) and taking the pizzas to the brick fire oven. In order to make a pizza, one first started out with a piece of aluminum foil, with which one folded the sides over about half an inch. Then, the name was written on one of the sides (there were lots of Japanese children trying to write their names by themselves, very cute). Then, the pizza dough was stretched, sauce was put on it, and then the person's choice of toppings out of onions, green peppers, corn, cut up hot dog and cheese. Afterwards, we put the pizzas four to a tray and then sent the tray to the brick oven where it only took about two minutes to be made into a pizza.

There were three groups in the morning, one group of people came at 9:30 to make pizza, another at 10:30 and the last group at 11:30. We then had lunch break and then helped two more groups at 1:00 and 2:00.

After the first hour of working with pizza we walked over to the ice cream group with whom we talked about the unfortunate situation. (The ice cream group had partied a little the night before, not really good conditions for working). However, the four people in that group had done nothing for the first two hours that we had been there except to sit outside the pavilion occasionally feeling rain drops on their heads from the trees above them.

Note: Rainy season in Japan has started, and the rain comes and goes very rapidly here. It could be sunny, pouring, and then drizzling in a half hour time frame.

Eventually, the ice cream group got pulled away to work (that sounds really awful, but they just had to go inside to make ice cream) and we continued helping people make pizza. After the second break, I grabbed my bag and got some yen in order to buy some Karaage (Japanese fried chicken). It was my first meal of the day and it was delicious.

During our lunch break, we were given lunch! It was rice and tea. The standard lunch here in Japan. The entire group of us who came from JCMU took up a decent amount of the pavilion and talked. It was kind of refreshing to hear all of these stories about the hike and making the ice cream group. The ice cream group actually ended up not making ice cream. They just washed tables and cleaned up after each group came in.

The rest of the day went as the morning did, and most of us jut stayed in our original groups. While some of the other students went to play games, I hung around with the Japanese University students and practiced my Japanese. All of the JCMU students were eventually able to make a pizza (My pizza had cheese, corn and green peppers, tasty) and after the last group around 2:30 we all hung around, talking about our day. Eventually around 3:30 in the afternoon the bus came back to pick us up and we headed back to JCMU.

That night, I made dinner and did some homework before going to bed like most school nights.

Okay, I love Japan. It's great, a completely different culture and I still can't get over the architecture. I'm really happy for this opportunity and the intensive program here at JCMU. It's something that I've wanted to do for a long time.

However, I feel as though JCMU helps us to stick out as foreigners. Even though Japan is a country where less than one percent is not of Asian descent, half the time I feel as though I'm back in East Lansing or Maryland. It wasn't just this particular day, either, but the past week I have been feeling as though I am only halfway experiencing the country and the study abroad experience.

In the dorms, everyone speaks English and living on the outskirts of Hikone, I feel as though we are somewhat separated from the Japanese population. I also feel as though we are somewhat discriminated not necessarily by the Japanese people, but by the administration faculty of JCMU since though they know that we are foreigners and therefore assume that we don't want to try to experience some of the culture first hand. Even as freshmen in South Africa, I feel as though we were given more liberty with the general public after class and at night.

JCMU has a great program, with intensive learning and wonderful, dedicated teachers. But I feel as though I am missing out on the whole "immersive" part of the program. I haven't been able to interact with many Japanese people, and when I have, I have been put into a situation where I obviously stick out as a foreigner, or more so than I originally would have.

That's my two cents.