Final Weeks

Hello


It turns out my "eventful" week had its toll. Knowing my lovely, easily-exhausted body, I was barely surprised when I suddenly got dizzy and came down with a fever last week. In the interests of everyone's health, I stayed in bed the next morning. We were expecting several guests- some of them elderly, for the Feast and I thought they would be fine without receiving my germs.

Baha'is in each town gather every 19 days at the "Nineteen-Day Feast" to spiritually recharge and unite the community. It consists of 3 parts: spiritual (prayers and Sacred Writings are read), administrative consultation and socialising. The word "feast" refers to a "spiritual feast" rather than a mountain of food- if the host is only able to provide water, that's ok. Anyway, I always enjoy these gatherings so I was a bit annoyed at being sick. Mind you, being sociable when I'm not feeling well is not one of my strong points, so it was probably for the better!

Today I helped out teach English at the local primary school again. I really feel like I've got a relationship going with them now- I love them. One of the main reasons I wanted to help out with these classes is I really believe in the importance of meeting people from different cultural backgrounds. If I somehow manage to leave a good impression, this will hopefully stay with them for the rest of their lives, and help them to overcome any prejudices that may arise. At first I must admit, every Monday evening I would dread the next day and go to sleep not looking forward to it at all. But every time I see the kids, I feel so happy- they are just so insanely enthusiastic.

Last night, we had a social night. It was like aaaaargh... the best thing ever. Peter and Lacey, the Indian restaurant-couple and Mioko, a Japanese friend of ours, came- along with Ando-san, Andrew & Angela.

We first ate dinner together, then sat on the floor of the tatami room together and listened to Andrew play a beautiful song a friend had composed, on guitar. Then we listened as people read various prayers and quotations in English and Japanese, each based on the theme of "Contentment". While we were soaking up the spiritual atmosphere, Angela continued the theme by reading us a story from the life of Abdu'l Baha, the son of the Founder of the Baha'i Faith, who was renowned for his selflessness and love for others. What followed was one of my favourite parts of the night. Everyone shared what they thought contentment was, any thoughts they had relating to the concept at all, and any other Scriptures/poems anything they had. The thoughts that resulted were really touching and demonstrated the level of trust everyone there had for the environment. I gained a lot from what others shared. Peter and Lacey are Mormons, and although they didn't bring any Scriptures, they shared some orally with us which were really beautiful and really added a lot to the evening.

Then out came the guitars, and we all sang along together as Peter and Yuichi took turns playing. The funniest was definitely Yuichi's rendition of "We will rock you" (my request!)- complete with us all clapping out the rhythm as Yuichi yelled the whole song in this unbelievably entertaining voice. Peter is an amazing singer and really gave it his all everytime he sung. At the end of the evening, I think I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say I was extremely refreshed and felt... content :D. Andrew and Angela want to have one every week, and I was thinking it'd be nice to have one when I go back home. There's already regular get-togethers like this in the community I'm from, but there's something about doing it yourself, that control... we'll see. I'm already excited haha.

Here's a prayer that was shared last night, revealed by Abdu'l Baha:

"O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord."

Sonia

An Eventful Week

Hello once again


We had another guest this week, this time- Cathy's cousin, Skye, who grew up in Australia. She's currently living in Tokyo with her husband while he works on his PhD thesis in anthropology. Skye originally came to Japan for a year as a 15 yr old on exchange- and if she adds up all the times she's been here, she says its probably about 6 years. Her Japanese, as you would expect, is amazing. Skye is a professional journalist and photographer, which I also found interesting as I enjoy taking photos too.

The other day, I went out bowling with Andrew, Angela and Ando-san. I think out of all of us, I had been bowling the most recently which was probably about 3 or 4 years ago. Anyway, it was hugely fun- we all got really into it (jumping up and down and yelling in support of each other, clapping enthusiastically even when one of us got zero...).

Andrew and Angela were interviewed today for the same segment in the newspaper that I was in a few months ago. The section is designed to give Japanese people an insight into "the lives of foreigners". This particular segment is going to be about what movies Andrew and Angela enjoy. It was fun for me though, because I sat in and *tried* to interpret what everyone was saying, which at times was particularly difficult.

The weather is continuing to get worse and worse- this week is going to be 31 like everyday and HUMID. It's worst when you are wearing jeans, a hat and a jacket- for sun and mosquito protection - and cycling. You get so sweaty that Japanese people carry mini-towels around with them in summer, to wipe themselves off before a meeting. To be fair, I don't mind the current weather too much, it's more the knowledge that it is going to become significantly even hotter that I find difficult. I have a newfound respect for my uncle, who, whether its 42 degrees or 8 degrees, cycles to work from the outer suburbs of Melbourne into the city everyday.

We went to the orphanage again with Nahid yesterday to give the children "virtues education" (lexically-dense explanation?). This time, Ando-san and Angela also came with us. This month's theme was "love". The kids are all between 1 and 5, and for being so young I was really impressed by how well they listened, and how well-mannered they were.
We read the first part of the following quote together, then the children coloured in a picture of a rose:

"In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love,

and from the nightingale of affection and desire loosen not thy hold"

- Baha'u'llah

Once again, if people want to comment or email me, have any questions, opinions or anything about what I'm doing and my blogs- feel free!

Love from Japan,

Sonia

Culture Shock

Hello

Last night, I went out to an Indian restaurant for dinner with Andrew & Angela, and another American couple they work with. Just the idea of going out to Indian in Japan I found very novel. While we were there, Peter (other man) asked us all "What would you take back to America from Japan?". Answers were interesting- the garbage system* (see below), public baths, urban agriculture, the public transport system, Japanese people's hospitality & consideration for others. I think a couple of them may be going through some form of culture shock at the moment, so I think it was a smart question to ask.

"Let your vision be world embracing"

- Baha'u'llah

Culture Shock Phases

Andrew googled "culture shock" the other night, and was really interested by the different phases within it. I thought people might find them interesting (courtesy of Wikipedia as usual!):

1. Honeymoon Phase- Differences between old and new are seen in a romantic light. (eg love new foods, peoples habits)

2. Negotiation Phase- After about a few weeks, differences between old and new become more apparent, and may cause anxiety. (eg miss food from home, find people's habits annoying)

3. Adjustment Phase - After about 6-12 months, one becomes used to new culture and things become more "normal". Host country no longer feels "new", become concerned with basic living again.

4. Reverse Culture Shock - Produces same results as above, but is often unexpected and therefore can be more difficult than standard culture shock.


Types of "International People"
(Thank you Wikipedia!)

1. Rejectors - Can't integrate into new society and form ghettos. May be perceived as hostile by general community, return to home country seen as escape. Ironically, this type also struggles with re-integration the most when they return home. 60% of expatriates are like this.

2. Adopters - Completely take on host culture and lose original identity. Remain in host country forever. 10% of expatriates are like this.

3. Cosmopolitans - Adapt parts of host culture they like, while retaining aspects of original culture. Able to return home, or relocate elsewhere with few problems. 30% of expatriates are like this.


Prevention/Coping Tips

Scared? Here's some tips I found for the international adventurer.

* Learn about the country & culture before your trip. This way, culture is more familiar and one is more aware of differences & how to deal with them. (eg study the language, reading about country)

* Avoiding offence (this is v. useful in life generally) - Try not to be offended, or offend locals. When I feel offended by what someone says, I take a deep breath, then try to understand the reason why the person said it. 90% of the time it's not intended to be hurtful.

* Being open-minded about culture - Try not to think "Why do they do it like this? In Australia, ...". It's simply different.

* Exercise, meditation, yoga etc are good ways of dealing with stress

* Socialise!

For other tips, see http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/cGuanipa/cultshok.htm



Sonia



* In Japan, you have to divide your garbage into several categories - combustible, plastic, PET/aluminium, non-combustible, paper & cardboard. If I wasn't so lazy I might appreciate it more!

Guest

Hey

A few nights ago we had a very interesting man visit our house. He came to Takamatsu for Second Hand, to do a lecture at the local university about non-profit organisations. This man went to Iraq as a "human shield" at the start of the Iraq War, and as a result of that experience developed a love for Iraqi culture and its people.

In Japan, like in the West, the image many people receive of Middle-Eastern people is distorted, and our guest said that before he went to Iraq, he too was prejudiced. However, meeting the Iraqi people in person revolutionised his outlook. Apparently half of the Iraqi population is under 18 years old, and our guest really enjoyed the large number of children there.

As a result of this experience, he decided to start a charity which brings Iraqi artists to Japan, in an aim to transform Japanese people's view of Iraqi people, and to give them an opportunity to be exposed to such a different culture. He also started studying Arabic which I found amazing! His global perspective reminded me of this quote:

“The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens”

「地球は一つの国であり、人類はその市民である。」

Tomorrow night the children's class fathers and I finish the 1st workbook of the study circle sequence. I'm very excited. Because I've been involved with so many study circles (the majority of which are in the 1st workbook), I've done many sections of this workbook several times.

I've been particularly repeating parts from the 1st unit, which primarily deals with what kind of qualities we should strive to practise in our lives (eg truthfulness, kindness). I don't think you can repeat this enough though- if we all got to a stage where we could model these qualities more, you'd think the world would be a better place.
Here's a quote I particularly like, from the very first section of the workbook (below).
Every time I look at it, I feel like it keeps all my goals and actions directed towards "the betterment of the world".

"The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct."

「世の改善は清らかで立派な行いと、称賛に値する礼儀にかなった行動を通して達成できる。」

The weather's continuing to heat up here. At the moment, its averaging high-20's still, but the humidity makes everything a bit bothersome. It also makes me wonder how I'm going to transport my space-consuming ski jacket home, on the way here I wore it- but wearing a ski jacket when it's over 30 degrees and humid won't be pleasant.

My neighbourhood has been transformed into a land of emerald lakes with the flooding of the rice-fields. It's gorgeous.

Sonia