Home Again

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for following and contributing to my blog! It all went by so fast, and I am home now. I will be taking the next few days to highlight some of my favorite events and moments that I didn't have time to add to the blog while I was in Japan. I also have a few more responses to make to students in Mrs. Teal's class, so keep coming back!

See you soon!
Janine

More about my room

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Originally uploaded by littleflowers

"Hello Ms. Janine,
I think your accommodations look just lovely. It really makes me think that we take too much for granted in our very very large American lives, and that we all need to reconsider what we need - the essentials - to live a full life. Really when you think about it, a small backpack can hold everything :)."
Ms. Leslie

I agree, Ms. Leslie, and I have to say I thought of you and some conversations we have had about that. I am back in Tokyo now in a regular Western-style hotel room, and it seems almost palatial and over-sized (I'm certainly not complaining here, just very grateful, especially since I could see Mt. Fuji from my room this morning when it was clear outside!). I had everything I needed in that small room in Hiroshima, and I was perfectly content. We really don't need much to have a very full, happy life!

Ms. Janine
P.S. If you look at the photo, the crane on top of the building seems to be pointing toward Mt. Fuji in the distance. The top of it is actually above the clouds.

Making Okonomiyaki

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Originally uploaded by littleflowers

Not sure how to spell it, but I know how to make it now! Yummy! I can't seem to load my video, but here is a link to directions: http://japanesefood.about.com/od/holidaytraditionalfood/r/hirookonomiyaki.htm

Oknomiyaki

Here is a demonstration of how to make okonomiyaki, one of my new favorite foods.

Dedicating Cranes

From Ashley P.
"The clip that I saw was surprising! I never knew Japanese children wore uniforms to school every day. I noticed they had similar shoes, yellow hats, and book bags that we have here. The odd thing that I kept in mind was that children in Japan were respectful while they were singing and no one was disrupting the group or fooling around, not like kids in my school. If my classmates were there all you could hear was chatter going on and on. I felt glad that those kids did follow their respectful rules. I have one question going through my head right now, about how many schools are in Hiroshima and how many kids are in each of the schools? I remember that in Japan that kids learn more because they are taught one subject in the whole day, like math. My fifth grade teacher told us that."
Ashley P.
Thomas Edison Middle School Meriden, CT

From Mia M.

"When I saw how the Japanese respected what they were doing and how no one fooled around, I was amazed. No one here in America ever does that. Also they were taught like that and they actually listened to their instructor. That definitely would not be seen every day in America. The kids here always fool around. I wonder what their classroon looks like."

Mia M. Thomas Edison Middle School Meriden, CT

Hi Ashley & Mia!
Yes, with all the children there you could have heard a pin drop. They take Peace Education very seriously. Do you know why they dedicate cranes? You can learn more about Sadako at http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/frame/kids_e/sadako21.html. Click on Part 2. Or, you may want to read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.

Students seem to like the uniforms because it makes everyone equal, they don't compare clothes, and they don't have to think about what to wear in the morning! The yellow hats are to make the children easy to notice when they are in public.

I'm not certain how many schools are in Hiroshima, though I can probably find out for you. I do know there are 10 public high schools. Students are not required to attend high school, but almost all do. Also, students change subjects throughout the day, just like we do, but the go to school for more hours per day and only have a few weeks off per year.

I will post photos of the classrooms in the next couple of days.

Ms. F.

More for Mia

From Mia M.
"I think Ms. Fiorillo's room looks really great even though it is very tiny. I wonder if it is comfortable too. I think there is no privacy with the glass door. It makes me feel self conscious. Wow! But no one would really come in the suite. It would be agreat chance to see how the Japanese really sleep if the make hotel rooms furnished with their kind of furniture. It would be pretty neat. It still looks good the way it is. I would still feel pretty crowded in that room."
Mia MThomas Edison Middle School
Meriden, CT

From Jaelin H.
"When I saw the small hotel room I was surprised. It was small but it looked like it was very comfortable. The only weird thing was that the shower door was glass. I would need a little more privacy."
Jaelin H. Thomas Edison Middle SchoolMeriden CT


I DO feel a little bit crowded, since there is JUST enough room for my suitcase on the floor at the foot of the bed. Privacy isn't an issue though since I'm the only one here. The view from the room is also pretty great. Tonight I managed to see part of a beautiful sunset. I'll upload that picture later.


You can see from this picture how tiny the bathroom is. I think the tub is only about 3 feet long, but it is very deep. And if you look closely, you can see that the sink kind of overlaps the tub. And check out the toilet! It has all sorts of controls, and a heated seat - but it doesn't flush automatically!

Ms. F.

More about the Papparazzo

From Mia M.
"Having a paparazzo following you with other people is really cool! I think it is cool because it would feel like you were famous having a person taking pictures of you and your surroundings. It would also be nice because you would be in the pictures and not taking them. Not many people can take hundreds of pictures in two days with cameras."
Mia M. Thomas Edison Middle School
Meriden, CT

From Jaelin H.

"I always thought that only celebrities would have paparazzos. I would have never guessed a teacher would have had one, especially in another country. How fun was the paparazzo?

Jaelin H. Thomas Edison Middle School Meriden, CT

Hi Mia & Jaelin!
At first, it was cool, in a way. But when I was looking at the actual cranes Sadako folded, I was feeling very emotional, and the photographer was about a foot away from my left ear watching me and taking photos. It freaked me out a little bit - made me feel like my privacy was being invaded. Besides, at that point, I had no idea why he was following our group around, so it was a little strange.

There are people on this trip with fancy cameras who take pictures of EVERYTHING! I'm certain they are taking 3-400 a day, especially since on some days I've taken close to 150, and they have taken many more than I have! Soon I will post some of my favorite photos. We are so busy it is hard to keep up with this blog!

Ms. F.

From Mrs. Teal's Class

"Ms. Fiorillo why do the paparazzo follow you around? I don't understand because you are not models, you are just people. Also, in Japan do they mostly talk Japanese or do they talk English? Mark K. Thomas Edison Middle School Meriden, CT "


You are right, Mark, we ARE just people - but so are models! Actually, in a way, we were treated like rock stars here. The photographer followed us around for two days because we were visiting the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Children's Peace Memorial, and other monuments in Peace Memorial Park. We felt a little bit like celebrities, especially when we visited elementary schools and the children crowded around us, gave us gifts, and gave us all high-fives. We also met a man named Jeremy, who is an American who has lived here for almost six years. He told us that just being a foreigner makes us a bit of a celebrity here - and the treatment we were getting could become addicting! When we got all the cheering from the students that was understandable, but just having one photographer hanging around snapping photos constantly was very annoying and invasive. I can only imagine how real stars must feel!!

Ms F.

Note to Readers

Hi Everyone! I've added quite a bit, so please click "Older Posts" when you come to the bottom of this page.

Hope to hear from you soon!
Janine

Students Clean Up After Lunch

Brushing Teeth After Lunch

Yummy School Lunch

Students Serving Lunch in Their Classroom

First Grade Backpacks

Elementary School Students Arrive at School

We stood outside with the principal to greet students as they arrived at school.









Every student carries a leather backpack. First graders have a yellow cloth draped over theirs to identify them as first graders.


The children wear white hats that are reversible. The other side is red. Children flip the hats to make teams during physical education or recess. They do not wear their hats in school.

Yasunishi Elementary School

On Wednesday, we visited Yasunishi Elementary school and had an amazing day! Students prepared a school assembly for us and the first and second graders presented us with special gifts. Then, we got to visit classes and spend time with students. Student life in Japan is similar in many ways to student life in America, but there are also many differences. One thing you'll notice in the video is that students wear uniforms. See if you can name the song they are singing in Japanese:

Students in Japan walk to school or ride their bikes. Sometimes, they may also use mass transit, like city buses or subways. There are no school buses, and students sometimes walk a long way, so parents and other community members volunteer to stand outside along the way and make sure that students get to and from school safely. When students arrive at school, they store their shoes and put on their school slippers. At Yasunishi, we observed classes, toured the school, went to recess, met with teachers, and even had lunch with the students. For lunch we had some vegetable soup with tofu in it, fried fish, rice, milk, and an orange.

Lunchtime in Japan is different from lunchtime in America. In Japan, students eat lunch in their classrooms. Students serve the food to one another, and although the teacher is in the room, the students take care of all serving and all cleanup. When they are done eating, the students put any plastic into a plastic bag, tear and flatten their milk cartons, and stack all plates, utensils, and trays so that they may be cleaned for the next day, and then they all brush their teeth! Then, before recess, the students clean the school. They move all desks out of the way and sweep and wipe the floors. Students clean the school again at the end of each day. The school is very clean!

My Teeny Hiroshima Hotel Room

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Originally uploaded by littleflowers

Note the glass bathroom door. You are looking at my entire hotel room. Teeny, but I love it!

Our Paparazzo

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Originally uploaded by littleflowers

This photographer followed us around for two days and took hundreds of photos.

Click here to see children dedicating cranes in Peace Memorial Park.

Greetings Mrs. Teal's Class!

Mrs. Teal's class had this to say:

"Dear Ms. Fiorillo,
In all of my classes today we saw video clips about the atom bomb and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. The students related and felt for the devastation which occurred. The clips are powerful. Their assignment is to write a personal response to the events. Tomorrow we will select good ideas to post for your blog. They are enjoying the postings. This morning I showed one class, and it had changed when I showed the next class. I am looking forward to tomorrow.
Mrs. Teal
Thomas Edison Middle School
Meriden, CT "

Comments and Questions from Mom

"Hi Janine,I enjoyed the pictures. I thought the subway and train to be very clean. You are having a wonderful time, I see. Seems to me the boy in the subway is playing "hit the dust mote" when he should be standing still. No playing in the subway.

Have you visited a Shinto shrine? Ask your hostess about her religion, if you like. Did you get the email where I asked about school transportation, how reading is taught, and how special ed. is handled? I'm interested in knowing these answers.
Take care, Anna F."

Japan is extremely clean, but it is often difficult to find a trash can...and bathrooms don't have soap most of the time!!!

I have now visited many shrines and temples. In the photo, the structure in the water is called the O-torii Gate, and it sits outside of the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island. This is a Shinto shrine, and it is considered to be one of the three most scenic spots in Japan. What a beautiful place!

I have learned some of the answers to the questions above. First of all, most students walk to school. Today, we met with parent members of the Hiroshima PTA Federation, and they told us they have parent and community volunteers stand out on the streets to patrol while the children walk to and from school. Older students ride bicycles to school. In Tokyo, students use mass transportation. I saw young school children waiting, sometimes alone, for a subway. They wear school uniforms, and can you guess what they do while they wait for their train??? READ!!! And then they read on the train, and some keep reading as they walk out of the station. What a joyful sight to see!

Although we were offered a seminar on special education, I chose to go to one about math. However, I have learned a little bit about special education. Right now, for special education the Japanese have "special support schools," resource rooms in elementary and junior high schools, and some mainstreaming is done. Special or individualized education was only introduced last year. Some autistic students are now going to regular schools, and teachers are just beginning to learn to work with them. Students studying to become teachers now are required to take a class in autism, because, just as in the United States, autism is on the rise. Currently, students who are identified as "intellectually retarded (we don't use this term), autistic, or physically disabled are sent to "special support schools." These schools serve children at kindergarten through senior high school levels, and then there is also a senior training level available. They do not break down the labels beyond "intellectually retarded," and they are just beginning to learn about various disabilities such as dyslexia.

On another note, when we were at Hiroshima University, someone asked about classroom management training. The Japanese professors and student we were talking with weren't sure what we were talking about...because theirs is such a structured and conformist society. This is not to say that they don't have their share of issues - they do. However, they don't deal with classroom management issues the way we do, yet.

I will be visiting schools and observing lessons this week, so I hope to have more to share!

Please share your thoughts and questions!
Janine

A New Friend in Japan!

Shin, Shawn, and Janine (Ms. F.)
On the first night in Japan, I met the people you see in the photo. Shin is a university student who volunteered to spend some time with Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund teachers, and he got assigned to spend time with Shawn, a teacher from Detroit, and me! We had a great time. We went to a little hole in the wall restaurant that served sushi on a conveyor belt and got to know one another. Shin, Shawn, and I even added eachother to our Facebooks, and Shin and I have kept in touch that way. (I've seen Shawn during my program, though we are in different parts of Japan for this week.) Shin even posted a comment to this blog:

"As i told you before, English educational system in Japan does not focus on practical skills. This would be one of the significant reasons for Japanese' poor english skills(especially practical ones)Also, one interesting story is that Japanese people try to avoid the contact w/ foreigners. For instance, if foreigner asks some question(like the way to the station) to japanese, most people tend to just say "no,no,no" and they run away from him. Have you experienced this in Japan since you came to here??"

I am still fascinated by the fact that Japanese learn functional English (reading and writing) rather than practical English (speaking). Shin's English is so good because he also spent a year studying in Wisconsin. I think I shared earlier that I have found the Japanese people I've come in contact with to be very helpful, welcoming, and incredibly polite, but also that they are able to be more helpful if I have something in writing for them to look at. From what I have seen and learned so far, the educational system here seems to be growing and changing. One thing educators have done is to add courses in Oral Communication in English. Later this week, I will be observing one of these classes in a high school, and I MAY have a chance to co-teach...we'll see, and I'll keep you posted! In the meantime, do you have any questions for Shin? Please post here, and I'll ask him!

Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound

For the ashes of those who were killed by the bombing

Bell of Peace

The sound continues so we may remember...

A-Bomb Dome

This building was left standing after the bomb exploded. It is preserved just as it was after the bombing as a reminder of what happened.

Hypocenter

Children looking at a memorial at the location where the A-bomb was detonated.

Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum Visit

This morning we went to Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum. The museum was in a small building which was a section of a school both before and after the bomb was dropped. There is a new school on the site also, but this small building has been made into a museum. Our guide told us several stories of people who experienced the blast. Many died on the spot where we were. The school was used as a medical center right after the bomb exploded. Our guide for the morning was actually the daughter of a survivor (her mother) so she told us her mother's story also. We all had tears in our eyes. Then, we went outside, and some students came out to greet us. They were beautiful children, and they touched our hearts. It was just after some little boys introduced themselves and let me take their photo (and right before our group photo!) that I was overwhelmed by many emotions about what took place on August 6, 1945 in Hiroshima and the growth and healing that has taken place since. While none of us can possibly imagine what it was like, it is so important that we remember what happened, so that we can make sure it never happens to anyone anywhere in the world again. The people of the City of Hiroshima have made that their mission - to abolish nuclear weapons in the world so that we may have peace. That is part of the reason that it is important to learn about Sadako.
After we left the school, we met briefly with the Deputy Mayor of Hiroshima. She told us about a worldwide organization called Mayors for Peace, which aims to have all mayors in the world join and stand for the abolition of nuclear weapons. She gave us all packets to take back to the Mayor of our towns or cities if they haven't become members yet. I received a packet already addressed to Mayor Henrici, and I plan to share it with him when I come home.

What are some of your thoughts?

A Question from Taya - Mrs. Rourke's Student

"Hi Ms.Fiorillo,my name is Taya,a student from Mrs.Rourke's class.How is the weather there?Is it like Conneticut? What season is it there?"

Hello Taya! It is autumn here in Japan, and the weather is just beautiful! It has been around 79 and sunny every day, which is a bit warmer than there, correct? The leaves are just starting to change colors, so I think they change 2-3 weeks later than in CT. I'm actually going to miss the peak colors this year, because by the time I get home the peak will have passed. That is alright, though! This experience is worth it! Do you have any more questions for me? Did you get to see the picture of your cranes hanging at the Children's Peace Memorial?


Ms. F.

Energy Conservation in Japan

A colleague and friend of mine asked me to look for examples of ways the Japanese conserve energy or recycle. Do you know what this picture is? It is in my hotel room in Hiroshima. I use a small plastic card as a key to get into the room. You may have seen this in hotels in America. The card is the same size as a credit card, and it fits into a slot in the door. Well, in Japan, once I open the door I slide the key card into another slot in the wall. This activates the electricity in my room. Once I do this, I can turn lights on and off and use whatever I need. When it is time to leave, I have to take my key card out of the slot, which turns off ALL power to my room. It also resets the thermostat. It has been around 80 degrees F (about 26C) during the day in Hiroshima, so the room is automatically set to 25 degrees C (about 77F). I like it a little cooler, so while I'm in the room and the card is in the slot I can use a little bit of air conditioning. As soon as I remove the card, the thermostat resets to 25F. I'm finding that the Japanese do not overuse air conditioning the way we do, which is actually quite nice! I can't stand freezing when it is warm outside!

Cranes for Sadako from Mrs. Rourke's Class

Today we visited Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. There was so much to see here - so many monuments to the people who died or were otherwise affected by the bombing of Hiroshima on that fateful day, August 6, 1945. It was a very emotional day for us. We visited the hypocenter of the bombing, which is the place where the bomb exploded, kind of like our Ground Zero. There was a small monument there on a street next to a hospital which has been rebuilt on the spot where a hospital formerly stood. Next, we walked to the park and saw the A-Bomb Dome, a building which was left standing as it was after it was bombed as a memorial of what happened. The park is beautiful, and it was a beautiful day today, just like the day the bombimg happened. We passed lots of monuments. Finally, we came to the monument to Sadako. I filled in a dedication form which will be added to Hiroshima's permanent records, and hung the cranes in a small outside room. Thank you so much for folding these wonderful cranes! While I was doing this, a large group of school children came to the monument with cranes to dedicate, and they had a brief ceremony before hanging their cranes. They laid their cranes under the monument, and then two boys made a brief speech. Then, the group sang a beautiful song for peace. I couldn't understand the words, but I certainly felt the feelings. The song was followed by a moment of silent prayer. Can you imagine a large group of 80 or more students being silent together in memory of Sadako? My colleagues and I all had chills. It was a moment I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

More About Japanese People Learning English

Hi Again,

The Japanese currently begin learning English in 5th grade, but next year they will be starting English in 4th grade. However, they don't speak much English. This is because they are taught functional English: reading and writing. My friends and I have found that if we have information written in English, Japanese people can read it and help us know where to go. However, they don't actually SPEAK English. I think this is very interesting, don't you?

My Favorite Sign

Tuna Auction/Fish Market
Originally uploaded by littleflowers

Greetings Everyone!

Here is a picture of one of my favorite signs. I've seen it in the subway. What do you think it means? Why do you think the Japanese hang this sign?

Although there are some signs in English, most of the signs I see are in Japanese. Or, they are Japanese words written with our letters, so I don't understand a whole lot. McDonalds and 7-11 signs are in both languages!! I will take more pictures for you.

I hear lots of English when I'm with the other teachers, of course, and from many of our presenters. Today, though, our presenter had a translator. He spoke with us about how math is taught in Japan, and he was VERY interesting.

It is very challenging to communicate here since most people speak Japanese. When we go into restaurants, if no one speaks English, we have to point to what we want on the menu! And it is difficult to get water since we don't know the word for it! Last night, I went out to dinner with some other teachers. We went to a restaurant where no one spoke English. We sat at a counter where we could watch the cooking, and when the waitress came we pointed at pictures of what we wanted. We REALLY enjoyed the food we ate! At the end of dinner, one of the people I was with turned over the menu and found the only English words in the restaurant: CHINESE FOOD! We were surprised, and laughed. Now I've had Chinese food in Japan!

Tonight, I traveled to another area of Tokyo with some friends to see a parade. It had something to do with honoring the dead, but I'm still finding out more. Check the slide show for pictures. VERY few people spoke English there, but we did meet a woman who was able to give us some information.

Television is mostly in Japanese, with no subtitles for me. I do have CNN, BBC News, and one other news channel in English, so I am able to keep up with the election, the economy, and other world news.

On Sunday, I will travel to Hiroshima, where Sadako lived. While I'm there, I will spend one night with a Japanese woman who lives there. I don't know whether she speaks English, but I hope she does! Just in case, I've brought some of my favorite pictures to share with her. She is 58 years old, so she was born in 1950. I have lots of questions for her. Do you have any questions I can ask her if she does speak English? While I'm there, I'll also visit elementary, middle and high schools and a university. I am actually making a five minute speech at the university next Monday, so I'm a little nervous!

A Question from Mrs. Rourke's Class

Good Morning Ms. Fiorillo- We were wondering if you see signs written in English. Also, do you hear people speaking English?Mrs. Rourke's Class

Greetings Mrs. Rourke's Class! (Everyone else, too!)

Thanks so much for the beautiful paper cranes! I am looking forward to hanging them up when I visit Hiroshima in a few days! What are you learning about Japan? Do you have questions for me?

I am learning so much! This morning, I got up VERY early and went to the Tsukiji Fish Market to watch a tuna auction. This is the largest fish market in the world. It was fascinating! Click here to learn more about the market:

http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/youkoso/about_e.htm

First Days in Tokyo

Greetings Everyone!

I am having trouble uploading pictures right now, but here is some news:

I finally made it to Tokyo! The city is tremendous, and I am already learning many things. Last night, when we arrived, we received 26,000 yen for spending money for meals. (Does anyone know about how much that is in dollars? Try this: http://www.xe.com/ucc/). I went out to a sushi bar with one other teacher and a student volunteer from a local university. It was quite an experience! We sat at a counter, and the sushi went by on a conveyor belt. We took the plates we wanted. I tried three grades of raw tuna, and loved every one! When we were done, we stacked up the plates. The waitress counted the different colored plates to figure out our charges! Everything was yummy, and not expensie at all!

One friend who is a teacher in Glastonbury asked me how the Japanese are conserving energy and recycling, so I am keeping an eye out for examples. (See her comment under my San Francisco post.) So far, I don't have any photos, but here are a couple of things I learned today. First of all, today was a bit warm, around 23 degrees Celsius. (How warm was that in Fahrenheit degrees?) We visited the Diet building, where the government is run, and they didn't have the air conditioning on! In fact, most places we visited did not have the air on. Also, while my group waited to be admitted to the Diet building, we noticed that the escalators are only turned on to bring a group up the stairs. If there is no one on the escalator, it is turned off!

Do you have questions for me? Click on "Comments" to send them along!

San Francisco Airport - Getting Ready to Go!

How exciting to get to the airport this morning to find a check-in line all ready - just for us!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Very Exciting News!

Guess what?? Today Mrs. Rourke's 5th grade class at Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School, an ACES school in Hamden, CT, finished listening to Mrs. Rourke read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Then, students made origami cranes, which I will take with me to Hiroshima.





While I'm in Hiroshima, I will hang the cranes the students made at the Children's Peace Monument built in Sadako's honor. Please visit the Children's Peace Monument link above. There, you can learn more about Sadako, leave a message for peace, and even find out how to send your folded paper cranes to be hung as a symbol of peace.

Click here for directions to make a paper crane. Scroll all the way to the bottom to see a video. Then click the Back button to come back to this blog!