Under Pressure

Japan is a beautiful country. Home of the cherry blossoms and Mt. Fuji and some beautiful traditions. Japan is full of beautiful things and people. However, there is one custom that arrives every year around this time that I really dislike for these people. School entrance exams.

The pressure for these entrance exams is HIGH. Who takes these exams? Young children who want to get into elementary school. Eleven to twelve year olds who want to get into junior high school. 14-16 year olds who want to get into high school. 17-19 year old who want to get into college and on and on. At almost every mile stone of education these children are placed under serious pressure to pass and do well on these exams. Families prepare and study months in advance. They go to the school they want their son or daughter to get into and register for the exam. Here at Tamasei one prospective student arrived to register on the schools doorsteps around 4:30 in the morning.

Here is an excerpt from my friend, Cheryl's blog about this same subject.....

Monday and Tuesday, February 2 and 3, Tamagawa Seigakuin will conduct entrance examinations for approximately 750 current sixth grade girls who will begin their junior high school careers in April. (80 percent of those registered for Monday are also registered for the second day.) About 50 percent of them will pass the exam. Of these, Tama Sei expects to welcome 168 new first year junior high girls. (Many students take exams at several schools and, if they succeed in more than one, will enter their first choice.)

This weekend will be a time of great pressure in many homes as Monday and Tuesday approach. Actually, the stress has been building for some time. Some of these girls have been studying intensely for months in preparation (we hope)—if not by their own choice, then by the will of their parents. One father of a sixth grader who will take Monday’s exam told me late last fall that he and his wife had lowered the boom: no more special events and outings on weekends from then until exam time. “Weekends have become your study time,” they announced to their daughter who apparently hadn’t been taking her studying very seriously. They also were threatening to take her cell phone away, if necessary, in order to keep her on track. This would be, according to the daughter, the worst possible thing they could do--a fate nearly worse than death.

For the graduating seniors here at Tamasei the school releases the seniors for January through March to study for the entrance exams that they will be taking to get into university. I remember when I had heard my friend in the U.S. say that he had been studying for the BAR exam for two months and I thought that was intense! However, studying two months for a test is a normal thing to do every 3-5 years here. Phew! These students are unlike what I would picture I would be like if I was given two months to study for an exam. I would take a month or two off and then study for the last week. But not in Japan. Not these students. Especially not the women. Women make up only 38% of the student body population of universities in Japan. (according to www.educationpolicy.org) The pressure is high. It's part of this culture, I guess. Everyone has to go through it. However, that doesn't make it easy or less stressful.

Pressure to perform and do well in Japan is part of everyday life. Around 90 suicides are committed a DAY in this country. People are constantly depressed but rarely discuss their problems as there aren't enough mental health and counseling services available to meet the need. Plus, it's not yet as socially acceptable as in the U.S. to just discuss emotional issues with a counselor. The stigma seems to be that you only go to a counselor if you have serious mental issues. Teachers, businessmen, and other workers work non-stop. Students study constantly as standardized testing is plentiful.

I hate pressure. I rebel against it. For some Japanese people it may be no big deal but I see many times that it is. People here are tired, stressed, and overwhelmed with expectations. Of course, like anything, there are exceptions to this. My heart hurts for the Japanese. They are beautiful people and I wish for them to know the peace of the Lord when the world around them allows them to feel anything but. I pray for those who know Jesus that during this time they would experience His love and grace in abundance. That they would know He loves them even if they fail an entrance exam or make a mistake at work. May His grace cover their hearts and quiet their souls and minds.

Celebration of New Life

Our small group celebrated the joy of a new little life last night. Also, we were able to have some Turkey and pumpkin pie which was a delightful feast. I didn't think we would get to have any turkey at all on Thanksgiving Day. But, thanks to some amazing small group members the turkey was had!! We really enjoy our small group. There are several countries and cultures represented which makes for a lot of fun times. We have people from Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Gabon, the UK, the US, Japan, and Indonesia. We are very thankful for these people and we are thankful for the time we got to spend last night celebrating the birth of little Takudzwa Lesley Njowa. Takudzwa is shona for respected or honored.

Wina and Taku

Wina and Jason gettin some food.

The Bartons, Violet, and Nancy (the mama). And River's on the floor.

Myself with Taku. He is absolutely beautiful!

The group. Minus a few people.

The proud Papa...Diamond.

The Past Little Bit

I really wish I was better at this whole blogging thing....sigh. It has been so long since I have told you what we are doing that I have too much to write. So, to try to give you an effecient yet complete version of what we have been up to I bring you my least favorite way of giving information....a bullet list.

"Fun" things we have done this past month or more:

• Jason and I attended the Tokyo Passion Worship conference here in Tokyo. It was fabulous. The worship was amazing....Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and David Crowder Band. Mr. Giglio spoke and it was great as well. A funny thing happened at the end of the conference. We were leaving and some of Jason's students spotted him in the lobby and were SO excited to see him that they began screaming! Seriously, you would've thought Jason was a movie star or something! Well, one Western fella did. After the girls gave Jason some room a man came up to Jason and shook his hand saying, "Thanks for the great concert tonight." HAHAHA. Because of the students having such an "over-the-top" reaction some man thought Jason was in one of the bands. It was TOO funny!
• Jason and I have been able to take some school trips with the grades we work with. Jason went to the western most part of Japan to Nagasaki which is in Kyushu. There Jason saw some really great historical sites. The J3 (Freshman) went to the A-bomb museum. Jason said it was intense and it really got to him and shook him up. I hope to see this museum one day too. I remember feeling a lot of shock after the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN as well as a small exhibit at a Holocaust Museum. I can only imagine Jason felt much of the same or worse. It seemed that way as he described some of things documented as well as hearing a testimony from a woman who was 4 at the time of the bombing. Also, Jason got to see the memorial dedicated to the many Christians that were martyred in that part of Japan. He had a really great time on this trip. I too had fun but my trip was on a little bit of a smaller scale.
• We have enjoyed this journey of pregnancy! We found out that we are having a baby boy! Let me tell you, he moves A LOT! We can't wait to meet him and hold him in our arms.
• We voted by absentee.
• Have added new dinner items to our menu. This was a big feat for us. Not having an oven can be a little limiting and sometimes it's hard to read the labels of some of the food. One new item we love...Tofu Chili! Seriously, so good. I never knew I would/could cook with Tofu.

Fun things about Japan:

• I have wanted to share this for quite some time but have gone back and forth about it's appropriateness or embarassment factor but what the hey...I really want to tell you about the flushing sound button. The toilets in Japan are fantastic! Heated seats, automatic raising and lowering of toilet seats, and the flushing sound button! I don't know about you but I hate having to go to the "bathroom" when others can hear me. Ladies, you know what I mean. But, with the "flush" button that worry is a thing in the past....or at least waiting for me in America. When you sit down to go you just wave your hand in front of this sensor and then out of a small speaker comes a flushing sound. It's loud enough to cover up anything and also common enough that when present every woman uses it all the time! It's the best. It's a fantatstic invention.
• The Japanese (for the most part) are a very cautious people. I have noticed this a lot since being pregnant. Many of my co-workers are so sweetly concerned with my activities during pregnancy. When I took the trip with the J1 class I was asked if it was safe for me to ride on the charter bus we were taking. The question took me by suprise but my co-workers weren't put at ease until I received an email from my doctor clearing me for the two-hour bus trip. This is just one example. They are very considerate.

Some "not-so-fun" things:

• We have to find a new apartment because the one we live in is TOO small for us and a new little baby. We went with our Japanese friend from our small group and ran into some problems. People don't want to rent to foreigners. The real estate agent was very difficult to work with and not exactly nice. That was a frustrating experience. Thankfully our persistent friend strongly encouraged to try one more place and we had a MUCH better experience.
• I have to make a decision about next year's work situation and I don't feel like I can do that until I find a good day-care and I can't search for the day care until I know where we will be living....sigh. So for these not-so-fun things please pray for us.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I.O.U.S.A.: The Movie

Please watch this video. It's about 30 minutes long but very informative about the state and condition of our nation's spending.
I.O.U.S.A.: The Movie

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Japan and the Movies

We went to the movies on Saturday this weekend. I love going to the movies and it is a special treat in Japan because it is just so darn expensive. On the first day of the month movie tickets are 1,000 yen. About the equivalent of $10 USD. They regularly run somewhere about $17-$20 USD. So since the first of the month hit on a Saturday we seized our opportunity for some discounted cinema entertainment. Like I said, I love going to the movies and Japan makes that experience even more delightful (despite the high prices). At the movies you can choose between butter popcorn OR carmel popcorn OR you can get both delightful options in a tub with a divider! How cool is that? I get really excited at the smell of caramel corn here in Japan. It's just delicious. Also, when you pre-purchase your tickets you get to pick your seats because there is reserved seating! Could it be any more convenient? No stress about wondering how early to get there to make sure you have a good seat! You can show up 5 minutes before the show starts and have the best seat in the house (provided you booked this seat on the internet or from your cell phone in advance)! Awww....the little things I like about this country.

Remembering Why I like it Here

Lately I have been having some difficulty with the Japanese culture. The reason being, we have entered stage 2 of culture shock, "Frustration/Rejection Stage". In this stage many things about the culture you are living in becoming frustrating, annoying, and seem stupid in comparison to the way things are done in your home country. I have been dealing with this for about the past month or so now until today when the character of the Japanese people reminded me of how much I really do like this country in spite of the things I have difficulty adjusting to.

Here's what happened...I was riding on a train to go to my doctor appointment in downtown Tokyo. It was around 9:30 in the morning which is still when most of the trains going into Tokyo-proper are still very crowded and my train was no exception. On crowded trains in Japan you lose all sense of personal space...it no longer exists. People are pushing you in the back without any spoken words, grunts, or looks. It's quite odd really. Silent pushing and cramming....nothing like that would ever go on in the states. Well, as weather has cooled down here some of the trains haved turned off their AC system. Why? I don't know. Many bodies + Enclosed space = NEED FOR AC!! So, a crowded train with many, many bodies crammed into one another without any air blowing on you makes for one miserably hot ride. It seemed miserably hot to this pregnant lady, at least. As we were pulling into our destination station I started to get a little woozy. Then, my ears began to ring and everything around me seemed to go silent. So, I leaned forward and grabbed onto the nearest rail not caring who I was reaching over (I can reach over people here...they aren't so tall). I couldn't catch my breath. "Stay up, Abby. Stay up." This of course was my pride cheering me on...not wanting to look like a stupid gaijin (foreigner). But, in spite of trying to cheer myself on my knees gave way and I blacked out...at least I think I did. Maybe for a second or so. The next thing I remember someone on my right was touching my arm and trying to look into my face and on my left was a woman trying to give me her seat. I wanted to take it but as I was going the train doors opened and the crowd of people behind me pushed me forward. The ladies who were to my right and left grabbed me by the arms (Japanese women may be small but they are strong) and helped me off the train and onto the platform. I was wobbly and was trying to stand up but couldn't. They stayed near me until I was ok and even after I said I was I think they followed me for a little ways just to make sure. These ladies took care of me. It was a care and concern that I would expect from my friends and family, not strangers. I was a stranger and they helped me. For this and so many other reason I am thankful to get to interact with these people. Although I may not understand why they do things the way they do sometimes (i.e. in my work place), the people of Japan have been nothing but kind and hospitable. If I had to faint on a train in a foreign country, I am thankful I was in Japan when I did it.

Mundane #2

I have been having the urge to update this blog within the past few days but have come to a type of "blogger's" block everytime I sit down to write. So...I thought maybe I would just update with the mundane. I have yet to update you on our trip to Hong Kong and India and that is only because I can't stomach thinking/talking about it long enough to give you the good details so maybe I can commision my amazing husband to type it up and add a few pics. But, until then, here is just a little bit of what is going on in our lives since starting back up the second semester of school.

We have recently become addicted to the tv show "Heroes". It is quite an intriguing story and at first we thought it was even a little odd. But we pushed through and we are now hooked. We are just starting season 2 and can't wait for season 3 to begin. We have also started back up our Japanese lessons. Jason and I are quite a pair. I wish we could combine our powers to make one good language person. Jason has good pronunciation while I suck at it and I have good listening and can pick out the words and phrases while he has trouble hearing seperate words. Our teachers jokes that hopefully our baby will be able to put these two together and can speak Japanese. I think she thinks we are a lost cause and hopes our child will be the redeeming factor. :)

I am quite tired all day long....courtesy of pregnancy and my "morning" sickness occurs at night. I really think we need to find a new name for "morning" sickness. :) One thing that doesn't help my nausea is the man that sits next to me. He burps a lot at random times during the day. It didn't bother me until now again, thanks to the pregnancy. We have many decisions to make in the near future. We need to find another apartment because ours is too small and we need to figure out the timeline of my pregnancy leave. We are just unsure about all of it. There are many details that need to be taken care of in between all of this. I hope we will be able to move into our new apartment at least a month or two before the baby arrives!

Pictures will be posted soon of India....I hope. Anyone have a good recommendation for a website where we can post all of our pics and just provide people with a link to see them. We have SOOOO many pictures.