Technology and Rivalry

Ahhhh, back at school again at the start of a new day.  It would seem my iPad has started a bit of a frenzy...  Actually, I started the trend two years ago when I came in with an iPhone.  Everyone in Japan just loves seeing people swipe and zoom, and rotate the keyboard.  And their reactions are far more satisfying than American reactions.  Your average American says something like, "Cool!" or "Hmm...nice".  But man, when you show a Japanese person something new, they bust out with some of the most awe-struck, rapturous exclamations human speech has managed to come up with.  One swipe of the phone gets a "Oowhooooooooooooa!!!".  A zoom will earn you a "AUUUUGH!!!!!". And voice commands?  Dizzy spells and fainting.  Now, whether or not they're just acting or being "polite" remains a mystery, but still, it's quite entertaining.

After that, everyone slowly started showing up with smartphones and iPhones and iPods...  In the middle of the countryside, this is a big deal.  Problem is, we got a lot of older teachers, man, and they have no idea how to use those things!  Even though an iPhone is a million times easier to use than a typical cellphone, the people swear that smartphones are the scariest things on the planet.  Technology can leave you behind if you're not careful, I guess.

But now that I've got two impressive Apple products, everyone has decided that I'm the go-to guy for any and all things technological.  One lady brought in her daughter's shiny new iPad 2, fresh out of the box, asking me to help her set it up.  My first thought was, "Wait...your daughter didn't even try?"  My second thought was, "Ah...right...Japanese female.". My third thought was, "Wait...am I racist AND sexist?".  And then my fourth thought was, "...actually, no.  No, I'm not."   And yes, I realize "Japanese" is not a race.  But still, Japanese women (in my town) run from technology like the plague.

But, anyway...I think we'll be hearing a lot of conversations about how my older teachers can't use smartphones.  

Aaaaaand, what's for lunch today?  黒パン (kuropan, black bread...whatever that means) 牛乳(gyuunyuu, milk) ポークビーンズ (pookubiinzu, pork and beans) ハムと野菜のマリネ (hamu to yasai no marine, ham and vegetables in a vinegar marinade)  焼きプリン (yakipurin, flan...pretty much, but literally "baked pudding").

Take a look!

In other news, it looks like classes are gonna start tomorrow.  I'll only be working with the Girls, New and Other, teaching the first-years.  The other grades have a test.  A test.  At the beginning of the school year.  You know, to see no much they've forgotten in their two-week spring break.  Just...trust me when I say that Japanese schools love them some tests.

Anyway, I'll be working with the Girls, but...I should say that I've noticed something odd happening between them.  A certain...coldness.  The New Girl is possibly really fake...possibly.  She acted surprised by my ability to read some pretty straightforward Japanese, in a form of flattery the Japanese call "oseji".  Maybe she was being sincere, but...I dunno, man.  And the Other Girl is, well, nervous.  I'm doing my best to keep her calm, and she seems a bit surprised by my concern.  But when they talk to each other, a certain formality takes over, like they're not really working together.  Like...they're rivals.  Maybe I'm just trying to start some drama.  I wonder if there's an app for that...

I'll talk more about it tomorrow after we try our first class with the first years!

J