Thursday, March 17, 2011
Patient, punctual, but panicky
Our lifeline has kind of been divided. Even though in the same city, there are “blackout areas” and “not-blackout areas,” depends on the balance of electric supply and demand. Anyway, one hour later, I’m supposed to get “the cultural life” back.
Since the unbelievable disaster happened last Friday, everything around my life has been changing. The English school I work for will have been closed until 21th. All of my wedding receptions for emceeing this weekend have been canceled. That’s awful to hear newlyweds have to postpone their wedding receptions!!
I talked with one of the brides on the phone. She couldn’t stop crying.
“I’m very very sad right now, but if we’re in our guests’ shoes…we can’t say, “please come to our wedding!” among the aftershock, confusion of blackout, and the danger of nuclear plants’ troubles.”
I truly hope the terrible situations in Japan will solve as soon as possible, and my client newlyweds can hold their weddings soon. I don’t care even if I become very busy when I get back to my businesses. When can I get back to my businesses!?? I was supposed to be very busy right now, but now, what I can do is just staying home.
I feel disappointed when I heard my school will cancel all of classes for awhile… If I work for a food company or toiletry business and so on, I would become much more busy. However, English classes are “extracurricular activity,” so under this emergency situation, I don’t have a place to work!
However, when I talked with our manager of the school, she shared heartwarming stories. “Your students are very loyal to you. Toshio came to the school just to give you White Day’s gift! Akira also stopped by the school, to pay for the next term’s tuition. Their loyal behaviors just refreshed me!”
Yes, nice people care the people who even involved with “extracurricular" business! Their stories lighten me up…and I just wondered, “they might be nice because I gave them Valentine Day’s chocolate??” I don’t know…
On Monday, when I was on the way to the school, the manager called me my classes were canceled. So, I went back to my home...when I got out of the station, I noticed so many people were making a line in front of a supermarket. What are they buying!?? Is there anything I should buy under this emergency?? I thought I had enough food, but I was just drawn by the crowd. But inside the store, there were much more people getting in lines to pay for food. I gave up to get food stocks, and left the supermarket.
But next to the supermarket, there also were lots of people, queuing to buy toilet papers. I knew I had enough toilet papers at home, but “just in case” feeling made me one of them. However, the line was much more longer than I thought, so again, I gave up to get reserves.
As international press has reported, Japanese people have been very patient & punctual even though just under this devastated situation.
However, even we’re punctual, maybe we’ve been somewhat panicky!!
We know, we shouldn’t have tried to get stocks for our own because victims in Tohoku area need them desperately.
But, under these unexpected blackouts and threat of nuclear plant’s accidents, people just run into stores, then…now, tissue papers, toilet papers, sanitary napkins, batteries, flash lights, rice, water, preserved food, are gone.
I don’t want to be panicky, but I want to be prepared for “just in case.”
Of course I would like to help people in Tohoku, but so far, to protect myself & my hubby…
When will we be go back to our real lives, like the life we can enjoy extracurricular activities and extradaily parties, like wedding receptions???
Monday, March 14, 2011
At that time
I was supposed to have a busy weekend. I had a kid English class to teach that day, had two meetings with my client newlyweds for wedding emceeing on Saturday, and I was supposed to take TOEIC on Sunday. When I was pressing my clothes, I didn't know the half of my schedule would be forced to change, at that time.
Then,I felt the sway. The movement didn't seem so big first, but it became much more shaky, gradually. Tableware sound cracking in cupboards. I run to them, and tried to hold the cupboards, preventing it from falling down. (Fortunately, they didn't fall down...) But the sway didn't stop.
Then, the awful image of the earthquake in New Zealand came to my mind.
People were under the debris. If I keep holding the cupboards, they might fall down over me!
...I suddenly became so scared that I screamed, "STOP! Please, somebody STOP it!!"
Now I know there was NOBODY could stop the threat of nature.
Even I felt so, here in Tokyo, where the seismic intensity was five. Now I can imagine how much people in Miyagi, the unfortunate state has most casualties, wanted to scream, "STOP! Please, somebody, STOP!!"
I screamed, and run out of my house with fear. But nobody was outside, even though there are 570 families are living in our condo. So I went back home, and hid myself under a table to protect myself.
After the shake stopped, I checked every room in my house. Almost all books popped out from book shelves, glasses and dishes broke inside the cupboards, golf bags and plants fell down... but I didn't hurt.
Maybe, there are a few times when people can look back their lives, thinking, "at that time, I might have died." It might not be so serious, but that earthquake could be counted on "at that time" moment in my life.
The more time passed, the more I got to know how serious the earthquake was.
I canceled my English class, and didn't go out at all on Friday. I thought it would affect our daily lives a lot.
But Saturday, I was actually stunned how people were working so hard as usual.
I had two meetings with newlyweds. The first couple came to the hotel earlier than our appointed time despite of the traffic confusion. They said they left home very early not to make me wait.
The second couple called me and they would be late one hour, so I had lunch at Udon noodle casual restaurant near the hotel. The restaurant ( like a fast food restaurant) was very small, the building was located just under an elevated railroad, looked very unstable.
Whenever the train passed over the railroad, the restaurant became a kind of shaky.
I didn't know whether the sway was because of the train or earthquake...I was terrified, but many servers and cooks were working very hard in the restaurant, and many business people were grabbing a bite to have a quick lunch there. I just realized, we should work to live whatever happened, especially, in a big city!
However, even though Japanese diligent state of mind hasn't been damaged, our infrastructure
has been damaged.
TOEIC has been canceled on Sunday.
Today, Monday, most big companies would start their work, so our electricity supply was supposed to run out. Therefore, the electricity company divided Kanto area (Tokyo and around other 4 states) into 5 groups, gave them quota time, and tried to stop the electrical supply at each group's quota time, taking turns. It gave us confusion.
The English school where I work decided not to have classes today at the last minute to avoid troubles, so I went back home. I don't know when my classes would start, and I'm sad to hear some of my client newlyweds have decided to cancel their wedding receptions. So, the earthquake has affected my business...but I'm fine.
I know this is a devastating accident. I feel awful for people who died, lost their family members or friends, or their houses by the earthquake and tunami.
We must look back "at this moment,"with a terrible feeling...but each one can do what we can do.
So far, I would like to do my best for the rest of my businesses and my household work.
Then, I hope I can look back "at this time," with a better feeling than now I have.
I dedicate my deepest condolences for people who died, lost or hurt by the quake.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Photogenic?
I know I'm not a photogenic, even though my hubby insists "you look much better in photos actually...am I saying something wrong?" In old commercial photos, my smile was awkward, my hair was not perfect, my makeup...was OK, but people can notice my age spots or wrinkles when they see them in a bigger size.
I needed to have fresh photos for a new bilingual emcee casting site, so I contacted a different photo studio not only to take my photos, but also to apply my makeup and hair-do.
The photo studio is run by a hair makeup artist who did lots of work with celebrities...so, I expected "to look better than myself."
The one who applied on my make-up was the daughter of the make-up artist.
She looked definitely younger than me, but maybe because of her professional tendency? She spoke to me like a friend. That made me comfortable, even I tend to be very nervous on shootings.
After our pleasant talks, I looked a mirror...Then, I was almost screaming to look at my "after professional make-up for photos" face. My skin was too thick by foundation, my eyes were too big by using fake eyelashes. She widen my width between double-edged eyelids, so I was like a character from a Japanese girls comic book. I had to teach my sixth grader boys after the shooting, so it was obvious how they react if they saw this face. They absolutely would make fun of me, giving me a new nickname like a Rockie horror show's character or something...
But the make-up artist said, "It's the best make-up for a shooting!"
After the photos were developed, I realized she was right. I looked like a beautiful young MC.
Because all the time the young make-up artist girl tried to make me laugh, my smile didn't look awkward at all.
After I got home, I showed my hubby those photos, proudly.
He raised his hand immediately, and said... ""We got a situation! You're not the girl whom I asked for a job on the Website. Who are you?" I guess your clients would say so if they look these photos! They are far better than real you!!"
...Oh, really? From a professional view, it might be a problem. But from one girl's view, I'm happy if I'm beautiful even just in a photo!
I brought those photos to my MC office, and asked the president to change my old photos on the Website, believing better photos are better.
But she said almost the same thing as my hubby.
"Ah.... they had you got so many lights here! You look like you're in your 20's. ...Gee, how can I say... You look cute in these photos, but if the gap between the photo and you in person is big, it might not be very good, so...I'm satisfied with your old photos."
What! You said "You look better than your photo," so I took another pictures, but now you say,"You look better in a photo, and it's not good!??"
But she's right. There are many MCs whose photos are great, and make people disappointed when they see the MCs in person....
But "just a girl" inside me, chose the "too good to be true" photo for my private cards.
...I don't care ven if people are disappointed!!!
Lone Wolf or Team Player
Last night, my husband and I went to a solo puppet show. Are we interested in puppet shows? Not actually, but the actor's performance is exceptional to me. He is Norisawa. http://www.puppet-house.co.jp/nori/sawa.htm#norisawa Because he was...my homeroom teacher at high school!
When I entered a private protestant girl high school in Sapporo, I was a fussy little girl. I wanted to go to another public school, but I failed it out. That private girl school was kind of insurance for me, so I didn't feel good to go there.
However, after I go to the school and met my homeroom teacher, Norisawa, for the first time...my high school days became colorful to me. First of all, even from the first day of the school, he already knew each one's first & last names. He talked to each one, looking at each one of 40 little girls' faces. I asked him why, then he said, "you know, it's first time for me to be a homeroom teacher! You all are my first students! I was very excited, and asked my wife to read each one's name, and I tried to pick the name's photos from your entrance applications! Actually I kind of awful of remembering girls' names, so I should do that!"
But even for me, one of the girls, it seemed very hard to remember 40 girls' names perfectly. He didn't seem to have any troubles with calling our names correctly, that showed us how he had worked hard to do a "karuta" game to memorize our names. I felt sorry for having thought, " I don't want to go to this school!"
He was a very interesting art teacher. On the entrance ceremony day, he showed some puppets (later, I knew those his handmade puppets were praised very much from European artists)to us and our parents. "I'm a teacher, and actually, I'm also an amateur puppet actor. I do perform regularly. They are from my show, "Macbeth," as you know, a Shakespeare's play. In Japan, puppet show sounds like for kids, but I do it for mostly adults." He performed a little for all of us. I wondered, how many high school teachers does perform a puppet show in front of students and parents? I started to like the shcool, where he belongs.
Since then, it became my regular thing to stop by Norisawa's office after school. I told my complains for school or my parents like a fussy kid, and he started to talk about himself, too. "Teacher's job is great, and other teachers' of this school are also great...but I feel like I don't belong here sometimes. I enjoy being with all of you, so I can't explain why."
One year and a half later, Norisawa made his biggest decision of his life. He got a scholarship from the government, and went to France to study puppet theater major, and he was immediately selected to be a professional puppet performer, and sent to Czech Republic, where puppet performances are very popular. As a 16-years old girl, I was very sad that my most favorite teacher was leaving the school, but somewhat I understood he finally found where he belonged to.
Years later, I visited Czech with my family, before I got married, to see Norisawa. When he came to Sapporo to perform, I went to see his performances. But after I got married, I moved to Tokyo, then America, so I didn't have a chance to meet him even we have been contacting each other via e-mail sometimes.
Last night, he performed in Tokyo, and the time I could introduce my husband to Norisawa finally came! But I was a bit worried. My hubby has been in the busiest season of his job, so even last night, our 10th marriage anniversary night, he needed to stay up all night at the office to finish his job. Norisawa's performance was the night after...can he really come?
Also, my hubby is a conservative guy who "belongs to" a conservative Japanese company. On the other hand, Norisawa' performance is...so artistic that he has been praised to get so many awards in Europe, but can a conservative Japanese guy understand puppets' artistic world?
My hubby was very nice to make it last night. All the time during the performance, I looked at Norisawa how to perform, and my hubby how to react, one after the other, like a tennis judge.
Norisawa's solo performance seemed like a lots of energy. Sometimes he jumped & did somersaults, shouted... He did emceeing all the times to explain about his performances (most puppet shows don't have lines,) trying to make the audience laugh often, so, his stage was like a sort of "standing comedian show" sometimes.
I was wondering, how he hasn't changed since we met for the first time. His voice, his appearance... nothing has changed. When I was 16, he was 29...so, how old is he now? 39? ...Am I miscalculating??
During his performance, I noticed half of his performances also hasn't changed. He has been doing some same performances for 20 years!! But he has many fans & been asked by so many countries to come to perform...because of his art. I was also wondering how hard to do the same thing so many years. Even I say, "same," they are not the"same" for him. He must have modified those performances sensitively, I guess the process sound hard to do.
Eventually, my hubby enjoyed Norisawa's performance. He was just amazed there is such a person in the world. The one who left his country, to seek where he belongs to (In Japan, most people don't understand the art of puppet performances, but in Czech, people do!) get the jobs by his ideas & art, work by using just his voice & body.
Having seen Norisawa and my hubby talking, I felt that was a kind of "a mysterious encounter of a lone wolf (Norisawa) and a team player(my hubby.)" Of course I know Norisawa should become a team player when he makes a stage, and my hubby might become a lone wolf when he should insist what he believes in at his company.
But basically...the way of living as an individual artist, or as an employee of a company... Which one would you prefer?? If you become a individual player, you might be able to do what you want to do, but you can just rely on yourself. If you are a team player, sometimes you should do something reluctant for your company, but sometimes you can lean on where you belong to.
Maybe, just each of us know which one is better for ourselves, like when Norisawa decided to leave Japan.
After my hubby praised Norisawa's stage, he talked by himself.
"So, that was artistic...the art is difficult!!"
Patience
I have already watched all 10 episodes of the DVD, and I would like to leave my favorite lines from the DVD here.
It was episode 10, "Very Glee Christmas." (Sorry, it's a kind of off-season right now!)
Artie, a wheel-chaired guy, found out his girlfriend, Britney, still believes in Santa.
(That's so funny! She is supposed to be 17 years old! This is not happening to most high school girls, but Britney has been described like a "dumb blond(Sorry to say so! I don't believe most blond ladies are not so smart, but it's one of American politically incorrect notions.)" in this TV drama, so it's understandable for Glee fans. I love Britney!)
To protect her innocent notion, Artie and his Glee friends bring Britney to a shopping mall to have her tell her Christmas wish to a commercial Santa. Artie would like to get what she wants, but he notices it's impossible.. because her wish is, "To make Artie be able to walk."
Artie and Glee members are puzzled, so they ask a female football coach, Biest, to pretend to be Santa, and persuade Britney that Santa can't make it happen. Why Biest? Because she looks like Santa!
Being said, "Hey, you look like a Santa! " is insulting for a woman I think, but Biest, my favorite character in the new season, reluctantly does her students' favor.
As you know from my description, Biest (not a beast...) is a lady who looks like a football player guy. Yes, she is a strict football coach, but inside her, she is a sensitive girl who has been embarrassed by her appearance, so she always understands when her students hurt. That's why I love her.
Anyway, a few days before Christmas, Biest Santa sneaked into Britney's house, and talked with Britney.
Biest: Do you remember what you asked for Christmas?
Britney: Yes, I asked you to make Artie to be able to walk.
Biest:Santa's trying his best, but that one's a little hard.
Sometimes what Santa wants to give a good girl like you is patience. Because, believe it or not, there are even some things that he can't manage. You know, there was a girl a little younger than you...and she was a little husky. She was always asking Santa for the same thing-to make her look more like the other girls. She wasn't asking to be pretty or nothing. But she just didn't wanna stick out so much. Santa just couldn't do it. So instead Santa gave her patience.
And later on, that girl was glad...that Santa didn't give her what she'd asked him for. She put being husky to good use.
Britney;...Was her name Ricki Lake? (That's hilarious! Biest was talking about herself when she was a kid, but Britney thought it's about her cheer leading friend who has a husky voice!)
Biest: (Sighs) The point is...I don't think I'm gonna be able to give you what you're asking for, even enough I'd like to. I'm sorry, it's just not gonna happen.
Then, Biest Santa leaves Britney's house.
Britney is disappointed, but the next day from Christmas, she is really happy.
Because as she wished, Artie becomes able to walk!!
Britney found a kind of artificial legs, "Rewalk," was invented in Israel, was under her Christmas tree. No one doesn't know who gave the one, so glee members start to believe in Santa again.
However, glee fans know...it was from Biest Santa!!
I think Biest is a great teacher. She didn't crash Britney's fantasy, but told her the reality, giving her a great life-surviving tip from her experience.
PATIENCE. When I feel I don't have a talent for emceeing or teaching stuff, when I feel I envy someone for his/her capacities, I say myself, "just hang in there! Unless I stop being here, something good is going to happen to me!"
I felt the coach Biest told me I was right to think so.
Now, another DVD I ordered, "Desperate Housewives complete season 6" has been waiting for me to be watched.
Can I still watching TV dramas even I need to take a test two weeks later?
I don't think I learned "patience" enough from the coach Biest...
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
10th Marriage Anniversary
At that time I lived in Sapporo, keeping my job as a governmental employee.
I was about to leave my hometown, my parents, my job, and my old friends because of marriage.
However, I wasn't afraid of what would happen to me at all. I was filled with 100 % joy and excitement for my new life.
My hubby was a man, so he was more realistic than me. He was filled with responsibility & a kind of fear if we could make it or not...it makes sense.
On the other hand, I don't know why, but I didn't have any doubt for "if we could live happily ever after."
Because I kind of know my hubby was the right one for me.
10 year later then, I think I was right.
I enjoy having time with my hubby ten times (10 times sounds exaggerating, tough,) more than when we got married. I've been getting to know how my hubby is a wonderful person more and more, and my family and family-in-law have been building a great relationship for 10 years.
Yes, marriage has been magnificent as I imagined. No, actually, much more than I pictured.
However, I don't mean we're perfect.
What I learned from marriage is "no couple is perfect." In other words, "There's no one who is "perfectly happy."
We've been through some hard times, not about our relationship, but about our unexpected matter. That "unexpected matter" prevented us to be a perfectly happy family, but the process against it makes us a "self-styled" perfectly happy couple.
Through those stuff, I've found my hubby is very sincere, reliable, trustworthy, having a great sense of humor guy.
Happiness is just what you feel. If what you feel affects who you are, you should just believe you're happy.
I feel I'm just lucky I could feel happy for my marriage life for ten years.
My intuition worked to find "Mr. Right," but I might have found a"Mr. Wrong."
There are many, so many great people who separate their partners.. I think I am lucky to have "my Mr. Right," although I feel my hubby thinks me as "Ms. Rough."
I meet many newlywed couples every week, as a wedding emcee.
Many of them say, their wedding receptions will be the best moment of their lives.
However, inside my mind, I talk with them.
"Wedding reception is not the best moment of your lives. It's just a start of your best moments.
You might not be "perfectly" happy, but the more you spend time together, the more you like each other. Even when you can't get along together, it's great to have a partner."
Yes, the more you spend time together, like my hubby and me...oh? My hubby is not here, at home with me, on our 10th marriage anniversary!
He needs to work overnight, so he will stay a hotel nearby his office tonight!
But it's cool for me. Not because I'm sweet, but because I'm strategic.
We'll celebrate our 10th marriage anniversary year in Hawaii, during Golden Week!
Yeah!!