めちゃ淋しいよ

The first thing that I notice when I get to Japan is the smell. Not an overpowering smell. Just something ambient that floats in the air. It is very distinct, and it varies little between cities. Be it Tokyo, Hiroshima, or anywhere in between. It is a comforting smell. It makes me feel good. I can't detect it very often, now that I am accustomed to it. But I still catch it once in a while. It takes me by surprise as I am walking down the street, or when I go into a building. I think that the smell of Japan is one of the things I will miss the most.

Yesterday I joined Hara sensei at 舟坂小学校 (Funasaka Primary School) for my first English class in over a month. It was my first time at this particular school. Hara sensei often spoke of wanting to take me there, but my preschool schedule always conflicted with her teaching schedule. I was free yesterday, so I decided to join her. And I had a blast. All of my students have been great, but these kids stood out in one particular way. They were not shy. I emphasize this because almost all of the kids I have met, most especially elementary age kids, have been very shy to meet a foreigner. The majority of these students had never met a foreigner before, but they were as open and talkative and playful as kids I have known for months.

Hara sensei and I taught the kids about different countries, and we had a lot of fun. After the class, on our way out, we were invited to watch these kids during a practice 銭太鼓 (zeni-daiko) dance. Zeni-daiko is a variation of what is commonly known as Taiko drumming. In this particular dance, there are no drums. Zeni-daiko are wooden cylinders that contain 5 yen coins. The coins are significant. In Japanese, 五円 (5 yen) is pronounced go-en. Another meaning for the word go-en is something similar to "the destiny that brings two people together." That is written as ご縁 in Japan.

Here's a video of the practice session. The sound is not as good as I could hope.



*Note: This was written on Wednesday, but I've been sitting on it. I'll follow-up tomorrow.