John Stupart.com

I am always amazed at how emotionally… weird… Japanese students are. I look at the Junior High Students, who still burst out in tears if they get in trouble, or pout and cry if they ‘boo-boo’ their elbow during PE, and wonder how on earth they would manage in the bestial charnal house that is a South African High School. When a finger is slightly sore or a drop of blood is seen, the nurse is summoned amidst much ado, all the while worried looks are exchanged, and I’m left there wondering if amputation is needed, only to find out that little Ryu banged his elbow on the basketball hoop.

If such vulnerability were displayed in the same age group in a South African high school, you would experience one or more of the following effects:
1.) Your school mates would laugh and taunt you mercilessly for weeks.
2.) You would get foodstuffs of varying freshness thrown at you in lunchbreak.
3.) You would be given a real reason to cry, such as a punch to the face, arm, leg or wedding vegetables.
In School, crying is strictly forbidden, much like displaying any other sensitivity. A boy’s high school in SA is much like a zoo full of pent-up rage-infused gibbons, who will likely tear one of their own apart just as easily as they would fling their lunch at them.

But in Japan, we are all hugs and smiles and tears. You’d think the boys would put on a braver face in front of the girls, but it seems bawling like a baby is ‘cute’ round these parts. Japanese kids seem to possess this amazing ability to spring forth tears at command, whenever, wherever. I can only contain my silent mirth and just watch in amazement.

And then there’s the touching. The boys, quite simply, are gay! They touch each other and hold hands, and do each other’s hair with practiced care that only the most effeminate could manage. In SA, if someone held hands with someone else, the resultant homophobic assault upon the unfortunate(s) would be immense and swift. It’s swiftness, in fact, exceeded only in its wrath.

So which is better. A completely wussy, effeminate and emasculated teenage school population, who cry at the drop of a hat and are extremely… wimpy, or grunting troglodytes who simply beat or humiliate any such transgression. If I had to choose, I’m not so sure I’d automatically go for the former. Much rather learn to be somewhat of a man in command of one’s emotions rather than a whimpering puddle of tears!

In other news, the below cartoon appeared in the Japan Times. Given how so many ALT’s are engaged or coupled with Japanese girls, I can personally attest to the ridiculousness of their coupling.

This weekend saw the epic snowboarding road trip of doom to Nayoro, a small city in the middle of Hokkaido. The mountain there had all sorts of different courses to run and by the end of the day, when the gale force winds had closed the slope, I had tried all and suffered their wrath! And thus I sit here with an extremely sore neck and head after being ‘schooled’ on the advanced course.

Unlike the little country slopes we normally frequent, Nayoro is actually a decent-sized resort with many courses, ranging from a plain straight downhill run to near vertical ‘challenge’ courses. Although the day, and I guess the weekend, were cut short due to a giant blizzard that tore through central and northern Hokkaido, I was able to give most of the course a try at least. The most fun was definitely had on the tricks course, where I learnt to grind along rails, fly off ramps, and slide off picnic tables. Catching some real air is definitely on the awesome side of the fun spectrum. It’s good to know that Nayoro will be offering snowsports well into March though, as most of the nearby slopes are fast-closing as we technically enter spring. The ‘challenge’ course is at the top of the mountain, and comprised of a mostly near-vertical descent which was made more difficult by the extremely bumpy terrain, carefully hidden by a smooth layer of powder. It was difficult to navigate in a completely different way to hitting ramps and doing gnarly tricks. The downside manifested in a particularly violent fall where I cracked my head against the ice, resulting in amazing little lights which danced a little ditty in front of my vision for a while. A monster headache and some severe neck stiffness is now the result, but I am nonetheless pretty chuffed! The third time down I managed to navigate this hell slope without crashing once, whipping inbetween trees and dead branches as if I knew what I was doing!

Staying with the ALT’s in Nayoro and going out a drinking with them was also a grand activity, resulting in drunken karaoke with the local JSDF garrison. Needless to say, upon arrival back home, me and my broken self fell into quiet slumber! The drive home, through some positively amazing countryside even by Hokkaido’s standard, was also pretty special, with the landscape gradually turning darker shades of orange as the sun fell behind snow-covered farmland and forested mountains.

So the blizzard called a premature end to our trip, but Nayoro is a mere two hour drive away so we shall likely return this coming weekend to pick up where we left off! Hitting the ramps and flying through the air is an art I intend to perfect before the snow melts!

In other news, I write this in between classes, we just had one of the students have an epileptic fit in his science class. The nurse was on top of things and the town ambulance got here in record time which, I guess, is testament to their efficiency. Unlike SA, he didn’t even need to bring his own blankets to the hospital!

And that is pretty much that. Aside from school and snowboarding I’m starting to have to think about what I’ll be up to when I get back to the real world. At the moment, Masters sounds like a pretty good idea, but I shall also be applying for the usual range of internships and long-shot apprentice-level positions at relevant organizations. My best opportunity being a spot at the embassy in Tokyo, even if seriously high odds are nobody there will even remember my name, it’s still worth a try!

After my Tokyo travels and tour of South East Asia, I was faced this week with an understandable lack of funds. A severe form of poverty I have experienced several times as a student in 2006, where a R5 spring roll and whatever was in the cupboard at home for dinner was my food for the month. So entering this last week, I had braced myself for starvation and, most importantly, no chocolate!

But I had forgotten that it was Valentine’s day! And while I’m not exactly one who exacted much romantic attention from the ladies at the best of times (and what little that was gained on V-day was soon forgotten!), I didn’t realize that, in Japan, it’s totally different! It seems over here the women are generally wont to purchase chocolate goodness for every male in their office/school. For me, this is a sugary bonus that I hadn’t expected. Likewise, because I work at BOTH the office and the school, I am positively swimming in chocolate. Not because I warrant any special attention, but simply because I don’t have boobs! I’m not one for gender-discrimination, but when the women are expected to buy all the men chocolate, my distended kwashiorkor belly welcomes the boon in candy!

I think in precisely a month’s time the men have to reciprocate with white chocolate. But that’s after payday! For now, free gender-targeted chocolate is entirely welcome. Ladies take note!