For the past couple of hours while I've been sitting here in the kenkyushitsu playing on the internet, Uchiyama san has been talking to one of the students, fulfilling his job as a 'helper'.
The student has been asking questions about some of the work she has been doing, and theyve just spent about an hour with him telling her how to lay out a particular set of data in a tabular format. She intends to carry out a survey, and he has been explaining the importance of asking appropriate questions, and giving examples. Uchiyama san is trying to get this poor girl to think for herself, but every time he asks her a question, the poor girl fumbles in her seat until he gives up and spoon feeds her the answers.
If every student in here needs this level of hand holding for every assignment they write, it is a wonder anyone gets anything done. Two aspects of Japanese culture are suddenly very clear.
The first, why on earth you would employ someone to sit around in the room in polar fleeces all the time to be a 'helper' to the students. Well, obviously the students need it. Do other uni's spoon feed their students this much, or is it just Tohoku? (Makes me laugh - Tohoku is supposedly one of the best universities in Japan)
The second... when students finish something, or move on, or graduate (as seen last month), everyone makes such a big deal out of thanking the 'helper' profusely. Not just 'thanks', but almost to the point of prostrating themselves on the floor type of gratitude, and various presents of food. The reason for this is suddenly clear to me - the students actually need so much help, that without the helper, no one would ever be able to progress past first year. They are thanking him so much, because he is the entire reason they were able to graduate in the first place.
During a brief moment of silence in the room, Mum rang, causing my mobile to belt out Donald Duck's quacking at full volume. Oh, how that surprised everyone! Does this count as breaking the 'wa'?

Heard back from Hendriks today, too. He seemed keen to actually use my experience to improve the situation here for future exchange students. Shame, really, that nothing they (ANU or Tohoku) can do now will convince me to stay.

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Grr.. half a post written when the computer died.

Thomas rang last night from Canberra - rather out of the blue. Great to hear from him - havent actually seen him since that night last year when I thought he was in Japan and he wandered into my room at Ursies. Reminisced for a while about ANU, Kabuki, and Mr Shimada, the funny little bloke with bad breath from RAY English Club in Saitama.

This evening I went to the civic auditorium for the Magic Festival in Sendai... or, Majikku Fesuchibaru inu Sendai. I'd seen plenty of posters around the city for a couple of weeks advertising this, so off I went. It was a fantastic show! Amateur, yes, but they were all very GOOD amateurs.
Juggling played a part, of course, and some fellow who was very good with those spinning things on the string, I'm not sure what theyre called, but he was good. There was a very good routine of the Chinese Rings, mainly done with three rings. The times I did it I always used the full set of seven - an abbreviated routine worked very well.
The fellow who started the show did the disappearing/appearing balls routine, and though he did very well you could see his hands shaking with nervousness. Not surprising, given that he was performing to over three hundred people. Im glad I got there in plenty of time, otherwise it would have been difficult to get a seat. Only $5 to get in, so that was good.
Photos and even some short movies are on their way up in the photo gallery, but the computer is misbehaving today so I'll get them up later.

I've discovered this week the joys of the ABC's Radio Australia. Listening to Australian accents and familiar noises from home is very comforting, and I no longer stop and say 'wow' at the ABC news music. Sunday I listened to Australia All Over - the whole program, which I dont think Ive ever done, by never being up in time, but thanks to the joys of the internet and radio-on-demand I was able to have a dose of Macca on a Sunday.... Arvo?. Right now Ive got Tony Delroy's The Challenge quiz on, and I'm doing rather well, even if I do say so myself.
If youve got a fast internet connection, have a listen at www.abc.net.au/ra.

Its been brought to my attention that some of the emails sent to me using that button on the right of this page have not been getting through to me! This is very sad, and I want to assure people that if I didnt respond, it was because I didnt get your email! I promise I havent been ignoring anyone!!

I sent an email to ANU today to let them know what is really going on here. When exchange students come to ANU they are treated very well, recognised as human beings, and assisted to find accommodation that does not break the bank. Oh, yes, and they are given credit for subjects taken. I think ANU should know that Tohoku does not reciprocate these basic kindnesses.

Also, for some reason my Engrish photo album has been in hiding recently - it is still there but for some reason you couldn't get to it from the normal photo index page. If you had been choosing it from the 'Other Albums' menu below anything else, then it would have worked, but Ive put the old links back in underneath on this page, so you can jump straight to it.

What should I have for lunch? I might go exploring the city soon and see if I can find something nice, but not too expensive.

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There is a very good reason NOT to travel anywhere during Golden Week.
The news on TV last night was showing Tokyo's two airports - both so full of people that you couldnt see the floor. Almost every flight leaving was completely full. Bullet trains, the empty ones were about 110% full, the crowded ones were around 165% full. No chance of a seat, really.
The freeways were crowded too... they had helicopters looking down, and traffic was just standing still. The entire country was covered with traffic jams- the short ones being 20 kilometres long, the longer ones up to 35.

And people wonder why I'm spending the week in my burrow?

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