Dartboard

Monday was the 地引き網　(hibiki ami). All the high schoolers and Narao’s elementary schoolers spent the day at the beach and fished the traditional Japanese way, by pulling a giant net out of the ocean off the beach. Then we cooked the fish in a big soup and had lunch together. It was a lot of fun—a much better way to spend a Monday than in the classroom! We had Nagasaki’s news crew out for the day, including the famous(ly cute) news anchor. Of course—all the guys got their picture with her too.

I got a nice tan/sunburn. I love how the Japanese verb for “getting a tan” is the same verb for burning, charring, grilling, and roasting as well. Makes me feel a bit like dinner. やけたよ！

Pictures from the evento.

First it just starts with pulling the rope.

Then the net comes out of the water.

This is Kazuya, the dude who proposed to me and wants to be a firefighter.

Heave! Ho! Yui, me and Mie.

And you kind of have to open the net and pull slowly (or all fish swim out).

Slowly widening the net.

(The guy in the brown shirt is Tajima-sensei, the art teacher.

Students, teachers, parents giving moral support.

And if you’re lucky, there’s some fish in the net! (See the huge sting ray in there?)

The fish get caught in the net so you have to pull many out by hand.

Isn’t that cool?

Then, Keisuke (who’s father did the running part of the triathlon team I was on) is our fish expert so he gave all the students a speech about the fish. I criticized him a couple entries ago as the kid with mind-boggling motivation because all he wants to do after high school is fish off a dock, but actually he’s really knowledgeable about fish and well respected in the community so I should have given him more credit.

I want to post a video of him (and this sting ray gasping for air—it’s amazing!) but I don't have much more room on my server for videos. I’m trying to decide if I should delete old posts’ pictures or buy more space on my server so I can keep posting away.

My students listening intently to Keisuke’s speech on fish.

After the lunch, beach volleyball and beach soccer we waved the elementary school students off, but a few of my students stuck around and started going into the ocean. Ha, ha—they weren’t wearing bathing suits—THIS IS JAPAN!!! They were wearing exactly what they’re wearing in the above picture: shorts and shirts (the school P.E. uniform). It was weird to go into the ocean clothed, but I didn’t want to go back to the school any early than was necessary (just to sit at my desk and wait for the clock to tick it’s way to 4 p.m.) so I joined them in my shorts and t-shirt too.

There were only about 20 of us, plus three other teachers. We were out there for a long time and I never sensed any danger. Finally I’m beginning to feel really comfortable in the ocean! There were two girls who kept grabbing my boobs (just playfully, not maliciously or anything) and asking me my cup size. Always interesting as the students get comfortable with me…

However, the undercurrent started to get a bit strong. I looked back to the shore and realized we were pretty far out. The waves were really big, but I could easily stand between waves. I’m pretty tall though, so the students around me (and especially the ones further out) were getting a little flustered with each wave. Then I saw Masaaki’s face, he was much further out than I and looked very scared. He was splashing about and obviously wasn’t a strong swimmer. Tsuchiyama-sensei was closer to him so he swam out help him. I saw Masaaki do the panic-grabbing/pulling at Tsuchiyama-sensei and dragging him underwater too. Luckily Tsuchiyama-sensei could hold his own, but it was scary to watch.

Then Yoshida-sensei and I started telling everyone to come back in. There were about 7 girls in front of me and I was able to easily help 2 of them to safety, but there were still five girls and Masaaki getting further out. Yoshida-sensei swam out to them. I waded out for one girl, Sayaka, and she started to pull me down too. I was really scared. I could touch the ground between waves, but the undercurrent was so strong I could only focus on staying afloat OR swimming back with her dragging me down like that. I flipped her over on her back and started pulling her in the official save-someone-from-drowning way.

We made some progress, but she told me she was alright and so I let her go. I will always regret not insisting that she come all the way in with me. I thought maybe she could handle it from there, but she WENT BACK OUT! I thought I had misjudged her and she was actually a strong swimmer and the pulling on me was just “for fun” (although I didn’t find it the least bit fun!). And she was the one who ended up going to the hospital!

Somehow Yoshida-sensei and Tsuchiyama-sensei were able to get all 6 of them back to shore safely, but I was really scared there for a while. I wanted to go help, but I know I could become a drownee as quickly as I could become a saver. I’ve never actually trying saving someone from drowning and I know how dangerous it can be. After the incident with Sayaka I thought I’d be more of a liability than a help so I stayed a safe distance from danger and pulled in the girls as the teachers brought them closer.

I remember I kept looking back and forth from the shore to the ocean and thinking, “How does Baywatch make it look so glamorous? This is scary shit!” Well, Baywatch stars have lifesavers for one. Yeah. Those are important. I think they should put lifesavers on the beach. I would have gone for one if it was available.

This has really encouraged me to get some of the life-saving basics down. I don’t ever want to have to do it, but if this ever happens again, I want to be confident I can. When we were all back on the beach, Yoshida-sensei made all the students line up in their class groups and make sure everyone was accounted for. He took it really seriously, and I know some of the students who were never in any danger were annoyed, but it’s really a serious matter. The ocean is dangerous again! My thalassophobia is warranted!

Sayaka was entirely safe. She may have swallowed a lot of sea water, but she never went underwater. She was really panick-stricken, however and she couldn’t stop shaking. We got her into dry clothes and took her to the nurses room. I guess she went to the hospital afterwards too, but it would have been for anxiety, not because she was close to drowning. She was just scared. Tsuchiyama-sensei was really good to her. His fatherly behavior really surprised and impressed me. He was patient and kind. Whenever I see men who are good with children I get all weak in the knees. A good father is so important.

Anyway, that was a scary afternoon, but everyone was safe in the end. Whew.

And my boobs must be getting more noticeable because today I had a student tell me IN CLASS that they were big! He said it in Japanese and I knew he thought I couldn't understand. I smacked him on the head with a paper I had in my hand and he was shocked I understood and reacted. The JTE was right there, but she didn't hear and when I said "boobs" she didn't know what I was talking about.

After we walked away the perpetrator then told the three other boys sitting next to him so they were all in a laughing fit and disrupting class until I told him to move to the front desk away from his friends. There are only four boys in that class and they all sit in the back and are usually loud, but we let it slide cause they actually keep the class energetic. I was happy to separate him now. Finally I translated to my JTE what he said and she was surprised too. The student admitted to her that he said it--I really thought he’d deny commenting on my breasts.

Later in class I used him as the example for the vocabulary word “terrible.” He was really embarrassed and apologetic afterward and I don’t think he’ll be making comments like those again. Even if only so he’s not separated from his friends. Thank God I knew the Japanese word for boob. Hopefully all students will start being more careful using Japanese around me! I understand more than they realize so they can’t get away with everything anymore!

Catherine is in Tokyo for much of this week because she’ll be doing the Tokyo Orientation in the end of July—the lucky beast! I suppose most of the new ALTs on our islands will be arriving in that first orientation that she’s assisting at so she’ll get to meet everyone right off the plane. They’re lucky to have her smiling face and positive attitude to greet them.

Yesterday I found out that Peter’s successor is going to be a woman from Canada. We don’t have her age or name yet, but a nationality and gender is exciting information. Catherine and I want to write welcome letters to our new friends. I’m so excited for the flesh meat!

That’s all for today!
Love, Sierra

with my cap and goggles in place.