Kanji Practice

 I started this post on Monday, but waited to Wednesday to actually publish it.  I've been working on kanji writing and recognition.  I'm basically giving up on speaking the Japanese, but if I can read 200-300 of them, that will get me through the Japanese Language Proficiency Test levels 5 and 4 (the easiest two levels).  I'd really like to proceed through level 3 because that is where the more abstract ideas are presented.  It's also where I'm told patterns start to break down.

Here's what I mean.  Here are the kanji for "mouth" and "thousand."

口          千

This is the kanji for "speak"

話

 It's actually two pieces (I see three).  The left side is "say" and the right side looks like "1,000 mouth" to me.  This picture is "say a thousand words."  I leave it to you to decide if it is worth that much.

I sincerely doubt I will find connections in even 15% of the kanji I learn.  However, native Japanese speakers don't seem to see these at all.  I pointed out to one person I could not read a particular kanji, but I knew it had something to do with the eye because the central part was "eye."  This person said they never considered that, but once it was pointed out they could easily see it.  The particular kanji was "head."  To someone who needs to know about 2,000 to function in society it is an exercise in mechanics, not necessarily a search for consistency.  In order to learn how to write all of them, they are taught a series of strokes and an order to follow for each.  Still, I think it would be enjoyable to try to suss out any connections.

When I had my calligraphy lesson I asked about this.  My student's English was not the strongest, but she easily recognized the various sub-kanji in many of them.  For example, autumn looks like "1,000 trees on fire," which is what autumn looks like.  Many that deal with water or water-related ideas have the same or similar three strokes on the left side.  "Pressure" is covered soil, and "ashes" is covered fire.  "Shout" is like "mouth" with an incomplete "ear" kanji.

I know the kanji are borrowed from Chinese, but they've been modified over time.  Do the patterns say anything about the culture?  Maybe.  I think this would be true especially if two kanji have related structure, but the ideas are only distantly related in English.  I recall reading that some early 20th century physicist (I think it was Neils Bohr) said he never felt he really understood a concept until he had talked his way through it in French, German, Dutch, and English.  The point being, each language approaches the connections between ideas in slightly different ways.  This, I think, must be true here as well.  Connections between kanji may reflect ways of thinking that are different from what I'm used to.

Something to think about going forward.

Calligraphy Lesson

 Today after my classes I had a calligraphy lesson from a student.  Here she is after the end of it all adding her name to an instruction sheet.

I asked her if I could keep that page because it describes and demonstrates how to remove the brush for the end of a stroke.

The first actual bit was a demonstration that I was to copy.  She asked me what two words I would like to write.  I asked her to write what two words she thought best described me.

The top is "laughing" and the bottom is "head."  She said it means "smile."  This is my copy of her paper.  While I was doing it she was telling me the angle to hold my arm, how to hold the brush, how to hold my wrist, how to sit, everything.  If I started drifting away, she corrected me.  It takes a lot of discipline to maintain the "proper" posture.

After this I did some practice with strokes, and she corrected me a bit.  Then she had me write my name in katakana.  Part of this was a discussion about "cursive" calligraphy compared to "printed" calligraphy.  I said we have two writing systems in English.  I first printed my name, and she read it without any problem.  Then I wrote my name (not my signature, but a decent cursive writing) and she said "I cannot read that at all!"  So, we did some cursive English writing.  When she saw how much faster you can write if you know cursive, she said it must be good for taking notes.

We also talked about signatures and compared them with hanko (name stamps).  My signature is not the same as my written name.  Many people are able to write my name, but very few can match my signature.  So it is used for important documents, just like the hanko is used in Japan.  The only thing is we don't have to carry a particular stamp with us when we need to agree to a contract.

When we returned to calligraphy she made me choose two kanji to write for me.

Above I'm copying one of them.  I'm not holding my hand correctly.  The wrist should be bent more so my palm faces almost straight out ahead of me.  Below are the two I chose.  She made me sign and stamp them as "mine."

The one on the left is "reading" and the right hand one is "thinking."  They are the foundation of learning abstract concepts.  These will go in my office at school as a reminder to all who enter, including and especially me.

My week ahead

 Weather here is unpredictable until it turns hot.  At least that's what I've been told.  So far it matches my experience.  We have the most useless prediction for today.  50% chance of scattered showers.  I should be more gracious.  Weather systems are notoriously difficult to model and understand.  Beyond that, all of our models are based on years of observation when we lived with a different climate.  All of this was spurred by the title, and all I could think of was The Weather Channel in the 1990's.  The Local on the 8's was a local weather forecast every ten minutes that ended in an 8.  It always ended with "The week ahead..."

Tomorrow I am going to try a trivia game with my Intercultural Communication students.  These are all 4th year.  Susan lent me two games - one about Japan and one about the US.  I've pulled question cards based on proverbs, superstitions, and gestures.  I also am including cards on onomatopoeia at the suggestion of one of my SVSU students.

Before my class, I'll attend Susan's Japanese Culture class.  We're going to talk about school lunches a bit.  Like everything, this depends on the state, and even the county you live in.  I'll share my experience and point out that American television shows similar lunch systems in many programs.

After my class one of my students is going to give me a calligraphy lesson.  I've been told to "wear black or dirty clothes."  I have a shirt that I can use and I'll bring a towel to put over my legs.  I told Jen about this when we were chatting this morning, and she said she's jealous of me.  I understand where she's coming from.  I think if she were on a trip and was given observation time at a fair sized telescope it would be comparable.  I'll appreciate getting to try it and do my best to learn about it, but I won't come close to what Jen would get out of it.

This student also taught me the basic Awa dance.  The dance festival is the one thing I cannot stop myself from begin disappointed I'll miss.  Every time someone mentions it being something of a let down that I cannot travel, I tell them I know what they mean.  But I can choose to think about what I miss, or I can choose to focus on what I experience.  The latter choice brings more happiness to everyone.  The reason I find the Awa Dance festival hard to set in the "don't focus on what you will not experience" category is had I been able to come last year or had this not be a limited trip, I would have asked if I could rehearse with the University team.  At least learn the dance and practice when they did.  I may still ask, knowing that I cannot participate in the festival.  It would be a neat experience, and the dance would be an excellent workout.

I will see what the student says.

Here are two pictures from yesterday, courtesy of Brooke.

So, I only wrote about Tuesday.  Maybe I should change the title, but then I have to cut The Weather Channel stuff.  My apologies.

Wakimachi and Udatsu Old Street

 Today I got to go to Wakimachi, which is where I was supposed to go when I missed everyone at Tokushima Station.  Brooke, Zoe, and Masami-san took me.  Here are the three of them at lunch.

They did not know I was getting them in the picture until after the fact.  We had soba which was very nice.  The noodles are served on plates (5 plates for each of us is what we ordered), and you are given a small bowl or cup.  You mix up your own dipping sauce using thinly sliced green onions, wasabi, tororo (pureed yam), dashi (fish broth), and a raw egg.  The dipping sauce is cold, so the egg stays raw.  I should also say the yam has a "mucilaginous" texture.  That means slimy.  The flavor is good, but if you have texture issues with food, I'd avoid adding it.

Soba was not the main reason we went, though.  It was to see the old part of the city.  Like Tokushima, Wakimachi had a thriving indigo trade.  Up until about the 1980's the only way to get the deep blue was natural dye.  In the East this meant indigo plants.  It was very expensive and very sought after leading to Tokushima being one of the wealthiest prefectures in Japan.  With the advent of synthetic dyes, indigo became less expensive and less exclusive, and the prefecture's economy suffered.  However, for quite a long while, this was the place to make money.  Consequently, Wakimachi was very wealthy (at least parts of it), and the Udatsu Old Street is where many merchants lived.  The houses have been maintained and some turned into stores or museums.

The word "udatsu" refers to a piece of architecture added to houses after the fact.  It's a small section of wall on the roof of the first floor that acts as a fire break.

Right in the center of the picture is an udatsu.  These were expensive to add, so they also are something of a status symbol.  It was here I was able to go into one of the houses and see the old style.

This is a shogi board.  It's similar to chess, but more complex.  When I was in a toy store I saw a game with a similar picture on the box, but I'm not sure it was this.  Aside from this, the floor is tatami, or straw mats.  In older homes room size was measured in number of tatami needed to cover the floor.  Most of the rooms in the house we were in were 6 tatami.

The doors between each room are like what we see in movies - sliding with paper covered lattice.  Above many of them are what I call in my mind transoms.  At least, that's what we'd call them if they were in our house.  However, instead of being basic openings, these have ornately carved wood silhouette, like the one above.  There were different themes.  Flowers, mountains, and cranes are the ones I can remember.  I thought if we had these as transoms in our houses, we'd probably still have transoms.

Here I am at the window in what I think was a bedroom.  You can see the crane transom.  We would never have that opening in our houses.  Too much cold air comes in.  However, this is at 34 degrees north latitude, which is central Texas.  Barring the anomaly this year due to climate change, things don't get terribly cold here.  The view out of this window was of the mountains to the south.  If the building out the back was not there, you'd also be able to see the river from here.  I think it would be good to sit here in the morning and think about nothing while drinking coffee or tea.

Brooke said she would send me a few more pictures, and I'll probably post them here.  However, she is preparing to return to Australia at the end of next week.  Only about 15 months behind schedule.  (Thanks, corona!)  So, if this is not a high priority, I totally understand.

One thing before I go.  Every town, city, school. business, whatever, has its own mascot here.  I present to you Udatsu-chan.

Yes.  The town mascot is a section of wall used to denote wealth and act as a firebreak.  That is how important this piece of architecture is to this community.

Gardening Supplies

 In my first two weeks here, Susan took me to as many shops as I wanted and needed.  It was very helpful as it let me get to know the area a bit and see what shopping here might be like.  One of the places we went to was a home store, kind of like Menards, called コーナン (Kohnan).  It really is not like Home Depot or Lowes.  Since I have nothing really to do today, I rode there and wandered the gardening section.  Don't worry, Jen.  I didn't buy anything.  However, I did see some pretty neat stuff.  I have two pictures, but what I'll really do is make sketches of things for myself to think about.

 This is a sunshade that you drape over a frame.  This one reduces the sunlight by 70%.  There were others that went down to 50% (the lowest I saw, but there could be lower) and up to 95%.  We have these, I'm sure.  I've just never seen them in a shop like this.

This is the greenhouse pieces section.  There are curved and straight metal pipes, plastic tubes, semi-flexible rods, and a host of different connectors.  Tees, wyes, crosses, angles.  It's K'nex and TinkerToys, but for larger structures.  The plastic sheeting is held on by clips that are about 8" long.  The ones I'm seeing around now are exposed, with no sheeting, for the bottom 3'-4' and the top arches over the taller plants, like tomatos.  Because everything is so wet all the time, when these are assembled I think they trap a lot of moisture.  The humidity in there must be off the charts.  

Since it's modular, it is very easy to build a low greenhouse early in the season when you want to trap as much heat as possible.  Then, as it warms up you can raise things and increase circulation.  Or if a section of the bed does not need the protection anymore, you can move it where it will be more useful.  From what I see, the method works well.

Most vegetables are done in "raised beds," but not like we think.  Imagine a 20' x 15' plot.  It starts flat with an outer boundary wall.  The soil is dug and piled in such a way that rectangular beds rise about 6" above the surrounding ground.  The plot may have 6 or 8 beds like this of varying size.  To control run-off, the beds are covered in loosely woven straw mats, loose straw sort of strapped down with string, or black or clear plastic sheeting.  At least until the plants take root.  Since the bed has been raised like this, the soil is loosened and the plants don't have to work too hard to grow roots.  One rule of gardening is strong roots mean a strong plant.

The reason I wanted to check that section is gardening here seems to be just shy of a requirement for owning a house.  It feels like if you have 10 square feet of soil, you will be growing something ornamental or edible.  It seems particularly important to older people.

The house across the street from the apartment has a section of trees and a vegetable garden.  The owners are old.  Think older than 80 at least.  Yet, every day the husband is out tending the garden.  He's either building bamboo trellis from shafts and string or spreading straw/straw mats to keep weeds down or changing the shade over some seedlings or trimming suckers off tomato plants.  It's non-stop.  In about my second week here he planted radish seeds.  Those are now harvested and the bed has been prepped for something else.

In my explorations I have seen many similar gardens with some very neat structures.  Modular, temporary greenhouses are popular.  As I mentioned, bamboo shafts are used for fence rows, trellis, framing, and other things I can't give name to.  I really enjoy seeing this.

I have two other pictures I want to share.  The first is a camping grill.

It's made out of an airy pottery.  The outside dimensions are about paint can size.  The walls are very thick, and it uses charcoal.  To the left you can see the edge of a more traditionally shaped grill, at least as far as I'm used to.  Not all grills are this ceramic/pottery type, but I thought I'd share this one because I've only ever seen it here.

The other picture is of these blocks.

They are made of styrofoam.  Foam cinderblocks.  The come in several colors, different sizes, and could be used in a lot of ways.  Because they are foam, they won't rot.  I first saw these at a 100-yen store.  Here they are in a home improvement store.  I just did an search online, and came up with no hits.

I get lots of ideas when I'm looking at this stuff, and not just about gardening or home improvement projects.  It's exciting to have that feeling again.  The feeling of possibilities.

Fridays are for fun

 I believe I mentioned this before, but in grad school there was a post-doc in another group who maintained the purpose of going to work on Friday was to have fun.  See what other people are doing.  Ask around for ideas.  Get a mental refresh.  I am at work, and have taken that to heart today.

Hachiro-sensei (I misspelled his name last week) wanted to have lunch.  We walked over to Sushi Ebisu with another professor from his college.  The food was much better than the conveyor belt sushi from last weekend.  We talked a bit about geography, weather, food, and politics.  They are both getting vaccinated in the next week.  Actually, as I write this, Hachiro-sensei should be heading to the Kitajima hospital for his appointment.

This lunch was a big reason I came to campus this morning, as I didn't have a lot else to do.  When I got here, I did some kanji identification practice.  I've really struggled with doing this because until today I had not found a good way to quiz myself.  Today, that ended.  I found this site.  Study Kanji.  It seems very well laid out, and I will recommend it to the next exchange professor.  That was a nice boost for me.

Just before lunch, a part-time instructor from New Zealand, Angus, dropped by.  We've talked a few times about lots of things.  He was the one who told me about the beer vending machines.  Today he brought me a gift.

 

The particular beer is pretty easy to find here.  Why he brought it to me is the way it opens.

 

Here they call this a "jockey can," and it is only from Asahi.  The whole top comes off and the can becomes a mug.  Angus said it foams up and produces a head just like a draft beer.  Here's a news article about the design.  

I told him this is the kind of Japanese advanced technology I was expecting.  I really am living in the future, and not just because it's Friday night where I am as you in America read this.

Guest Lecture

 I was asked to present some lecture to a group of 2nd year students.  Kaoru Taniguchi is the instructor of the course and she asks each exchange professor to talk to her classes.  It is a chance for them to hear an American accent.  I went easy on myself compared size, college life, and home life.  A reasonable chunk was recycled from some of the Comparative Cultures classes.  However, I expanded on everything quite a bit.  In preparing for this lecture I found the following picture.

 The only significant issue with this map is the city of Sapporo is actually about as far north as Midland.  Otherwise this is good representation of the size difference.  With a proper shift, Tokushima is a little north of Dallas's latitude. 

Students have a good idea of how different the people are in each region of Japan.  Part of the impact of this image is to think about how different people from, say, Boston, MA are compared to Columbia, SC compared to Dallas, TX compared to...  The US can go on and on.

They also have a better sense of how far most of the US is from the ocean.  One look and you can see in Japan you are never more than about 100 miles from the coast.  (It's actually 93 miles according to Wikipedia.)  Most of the US is much further than that.  This means we have dramatic seasonal weather variations.  Particularly in the Central Plains region (which, on its own is about twice the land area of Japan).

On July 7 Taniguchi-sensei and I will hold a joint class meeting where I will talk about some topic and she will translate.  She had three ideas as possible topics - the military and how ubiquitous it is in American society, the prevalence and importance of religion, or public engagement with politics.  I commented "Religion and politics?  Should we throw views on sex in the mix just so we cover all the bases?"  She got the joke and said "maybe, but it's probably not the best idea."

I'm leaning toward religious practices because it will be easier for me to speak on it without getting to tied up with my own feelings.  I think with the military and politics I would find it difficult to avoid saying what I think about things.  At least with religion I can be more "objective" in how I present it.  I have until next Tuesday to make a choice and begin working on it.  In the main this is because we will both meet our classes the following Wednesday and can announce the details.

I am really having fun this week.  I feel like it was right to apply and be here.  In 5 weeks the semester is over and I'll be home.  That's a little crazy to think about.  Since I do not want to feel crazed right now, I choose to not think about it.  Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy as they say.

No matter what else happens here...

receiving this will be one of my favorites.

The student was worried I would not be in my office when they stopped by, so they wrote a note.  I'm putting a copy of this in my PPC file when I get home.

What's Rude and What's Acceptable

 Today in class we talked about rude behaviors and acceptable behaviors.  I gave the students a list of different things, like commenting on a person's weight or talking on a phone while riding a bus, and asked them if they are considered rude in America and/or Japan.  I provided a second list of things that may or may not be acceptable, even if they are not rude, like a man outside without a shirt or sitting on your front steps doing nothing.  I asked them if these were acceptable or not in the two countries.

Some students felt everything is acceptable in the US and nothing is considered rude there.  I had one pair get almost everything exactly wrong.  No one got everything correct, even accounting for the number of cases where I had to admit it depends on where you are.  Is drinking alcohol in public, but not in a bar, restaurant, or sports arena okay?  It depends on where you are.  

I told them it is acceptable to ask your boss/employer for a raise if you can justify it.  I also told them it has been made unacceptable to talk about your salary with your coworkers, though people are trying to change that.  Being open with your coworkers about how much you are paid is a form of unionization.  If workers know what others are being paid, they can better argue for equitable wages for all.  This is why it is not acceptable to talk about earnings with your coworkers.

The more I teach here, the more I'm confronted with the aspects of our society I do not like.  Gun culture, the god of money, acting in our own self-interests to the detriment of others, exploitation of humans and resources, systemic discrimination.  

Jen said when she went to Scotland she found it easier to relax because she was not confronted with the constant stress that is living in America.  Here I feel I confront myself with it every day.  It's as if I cannot escape it because I chose to remind myself of it.  That may not be healthy.  The other side of that coin is that Jen came back and ended up doing work that attacks these sources of stress head-on.

This post ended up rambling a little.  I had two students come in separately to talk.  That caused me to lose my thread twice.  I apologize if this is not very readable.  This post may be for me more than you.

Thoughts and Candy

 I had lunch today with Hanga.  She is Hungarian, but has been in Japan for 13 years.  She is a textile artist.  We talked 3d printing, crafts, and diversity/inclusion practices.  While I was waiting for her, I was standing under a tree just kind of watching the students.  Now that they are on campus it feels alive.  They all get to be young adults, and even though I cannot understand the conversations as they happen, I can understand the emotional intent.  The laugh of the person who is stressed out but happy to see a friend is universal.  Still, sometimes I wish I could understand the words.

When it comes down to it, though, a good part of this experience is me being an outsider.  Back home I nearly always belong.  If I'm with a group here, they all work very hard to keep me involved and allow me to be part of the group.  By forcing myself to be isolated in a crowd now and again I am reminded how difficult life might be for some.  That's good for me to know.

Separately, last night as I was sitting down to do nothing at all, the doorbell rang.  It was two students who were heading to dinner and wanted to know if I would join them.  They were the ones who came to the apartment the day we did the indigo dyeing.  We walked to a yakitori bar across the street.  It's right next to a walk-up sushi restaurant and a little ways down from the ramen shop I went to with the other group.  I think there's a contingent of students trying to figure out if I really will eat anything.  We had fried octopus (which was very good) and assorted chicken.  This was chicken thigh with leek and onion, then livers (4 or so), hearts (4 again), gizzards (again 4), and skins (4 pieces each a little larger than a US quarter).  On skewer and each roasted and covered in a teriyaki like sauce.  They asked me if I liked the chicken.

Yes.  I like those chicken parts, even though some may call it trash meat.  I let the students know there are Americans who will try fried octopus before they would try chicken livers.  Even though you can more easily get livers in the US than you can fresh octopus to fry.

I learned the Japanese word for "leek" is "negi" (ねぎ）and for "onion" it is "tamanegi" (玉ねぎ).  Tamanegi translates to "round leek."  The students had fun reading the English menu and then trying to figure out what it actually meant.  This was a challenge even though the name of each item was Latin characters for the Japanese sounds.  For example, we would see the word "Kanzo" and they would struggle to sound it out.  Then they would try it in different ways.  Finally they would search on the Japanese menu to find it and say "Ahh!"  Even though someone who learned Japanese from English would say 肝臓 is pronounced "Kanzo" with a long o.  

One that really stumped them was "mt. yam."  I was asked what em-tee yam meant.  Even after understanding it is an abbreviation for "mount" meaning "mountain" (though not usually used that way) they struggled to know what was going on.  So much so that even when they looked right at the kanji, they couldn't put it together.  I think things were so far gone with the translation, it was hard.  In their mind it was "mountain potato" not "yam."

In any case, here is a picture Malachi liked seeing a few weeks back.

My next office candy purchase will be from here.  I'll get an assortment of the ￥10-20 options.  One of my students from Osaka, who is a little homesick I think, suggested a particular type.  I want to make sure I have some to share the next time they stop by.

Skipped a day

 Hello, all.  Yesterday I did not post because there wasn't a lot to say.  Fireflies ended up being postponed due to rain.  However, we went to a "fast food sushi" restaurant with the conveyor belts and train delivery.

Our vehicle was the high speed train, the shinkansen.  Each plate gives you two pieces.  It was decent food, even though I was told it isn't the best.  I enjoyed it.  Plus, I know how to order now.  I may go back sometime.

Last night Robert met me at Starbucks in Tokushima station.  We then walked to a restaurant for meat.  And it really was that.  Meat and beer.  We had plates with 6 or so bites/pieces of meat, starting with a sampler that had duck (I think), some different beef cuts, and thick bacon.  Then we ordered some deer, and then some chicken.  We did have french fries (fried potato) as a nod to a side dish, but dinner was meat and beer.

I'm not sure what I'll do today.  I do need to expand a presentation about life in the US for Taniguchi-sensei's class.  She's asked me to do a guest lecture.  Friday afternoon we talked about the draft I sent her, then I asked her about her research interests.  She introduced me to Henri Bergson, an early 20th century philosopher.  Very interesting ideas about the limitations of rationalism providing an understanding of reality.

I nearly forgot that on Friday I had another plant mystery solved for me.  There are many of these mysteries.  There are hedges on campus that have these small, pear-shaped fruit.  By small, I mean smaller than an golf ball.  I've asked many people, and no one was even aware the plants had these fruits.  After some searching and talking with some people, Thao determined it is a variety of tea tree.  My searches were pointing me in the same direction, but I wasn't entirely sure.

That's all I have right now.

Not Much for Friday

 This morning I finished the draft of a report for the Physics Department back home.  I did this because (1) I needed to get it done and (2) I have been invited by Hashilo [a professor in another department] to drive out of town a ways to see the fireflies.  There's a department meeting at 9 pm Japan time, 8 am Michigan time.  Seeing the fireflies has been suggested to me by several people, including students.

It's interesting because growing up in the Midwest we had fireflies in our yard.  We would go out at dusk and catch them.  Here it seems to be kind of a big deal to see them.  Even a moderately sized field can have hundreds of them, and it is very neat to watch them wink on and off.  It should be a nice excursion, provided the rain and wind lets up.  We'll see about that, though.

Susan sent me this picture from lunch yesterday.  She took this with her phone as sort of an "unposed and spontaneous shot."  You can see we all listened well.

 

I'm the one with the beard, in case you are having trouble.  Aside from Brooke to my left and Hanga to my right, my guess is Tami would be able to name the rest of the people.  I'm horrible at remembering names in the best of situations.  What with the masks, the partitions, and the language barrier, I am at a loss for names here.  As I said yesterday, the conversation was very nice.  I just don't recall anyone's name.  That isn't strictly true.  I'm pretty sure the gentleman on the back left is Sora-san.  The only reason I remember that is he said "like Solaia" the name of the restaurant.  Even to pull that up, though, I needed Google Maps.  I do recall the route we took to get there, so I was able to follow it until I came to the restaurant.

So, we'll see what happens tonight.  Fireflies or not, I will enjoy myself.

Lunch with Care for Tokushima

 I was able to meet a portion of the Care for Tokushima group.  The group is a mix of Japanese people and immigrants who meet every so often to talk about life.  They also have an attitude of protecting and nurturing the aspects that make Tokushima unique.  Because of covid-19 they have not met for over a year.  As Brooke is leaving for Australia soon and as I am here, they held a joint farewell/welcome lunch.

It was very nice to sit back and listen to the many conversations, hearing them slide back and forth between English and Japanese.  As I understand things, this would have been the core group to participate in the International Understanding for Citizens seminar that was cancelled.  It's unfortunate the class did not run because Tami told me many good things about everyone.

I also learned the answer to a mystery that has been in the back of my mind since early this month.  I was watching television one day and the news showed a story about a large black bird that was captured somewhere.  It was clear from the filming and how people were talking during the interviews it was a big deal.  One of the CFT gentlemen is a bird watcher.  So, I took a chance and asked him about it.  He knew exactly what I was talking about right away.

A Southern Ground Hornbill (native to Africa) had been loose for over a year after escaping from a pet shop.  It was captured in Chiba Prefecture, just outside Tokyo.  Here is an English language article about it from Asahi Shimbun.  It was fortuitous that I learned this.  I guess it pays to ask questions

After lunch, Susan took me to Tokushima Station so I would know where the meeting place I missed on Sunday is.  Just in case I need to know it again.  I let her know on our walk from the parking spot to the station that last night Yuko saw the flier describing the excursion.  She pointed out the flier says to meet by the turnstiles.  I asked where it says that, and she said "Right here in the circled part."  Every other person on the trip could read that and know what it meant.

I do not blame anyone for the oversight.  The lesson I have learned here is I tend to forget my students have different skills than I do.  What seems like an obvious, straightforward direction, problem, or situation may be incredibly confusing to them.  If I ask another expert in the field, they may have the same "blind spots" that I have.  It's very easy to look at something familiar and say to myself "That makes sense.  How could anyone mess this up?"  If the person does not have the foundational skills needed to interpret the most basic and obvious parts, they will make a mistake.

My two lessons for the day are (1) listen when people tell you their interests because they are sharing knowledge and (2) I need to question my assumptions about what others know and understand as I try to communicate.

Photographs on resumes

 I knew it was relatively common for applicants from Asian backgrounds to include a photo of themselves with their CVs.  I have seen it in nearly every faculty search committee I've been part of at SVSU.  The students told me that it is something they all must do for every full time job.  They also told me employers in Japan focus on black hair.  I shared my honest reaction with them, because I could not hide it.

How is that not considered wrong?  I said I need to temper my thought because I am applying American thinking to Japanese norms and culture.  That is not appropriate.  Just because I grew up and live in a society where one type of behavior is okay and another is not does not mean that is the only way to do things.  Still...

What does hair color have to do with being able to do a job?  I didn't say this, but when the photographs on resumes came up I thought what job aside from acting, modeling, or stripping would the employer need to use your appearance to judge your suitability?  Given some time to think about it, I believe it ties to the importance of how a situation looks compared to the importance of how it is.

It's all rather disquieting.  I'm forcing myself to think about my own actions and how I may have been judgemental based on appearances.  How can I try to avoid it in the future?  What can I do to mitigate it when I notice it in others?  We'll see, I suppose.

In lighter news, it's been raining pretty steadily since about 8:00 last night (now 1:00).  The temperature has dropped.  Many students are complaining of headaches associated with the rain.  I understand that.  I very much like it raining at night.  However, this morning it was very difficult to want to get out of bed.  The patter of the rain outside.  The dark room.  The comfortable bed.  Taken together I feel like I deserve a reward for getting myself ready to teach today.  So, I'll figure out some reward for myself and bestow it upon me.  When you live alone you can do things like this now and again.

At least that's what I'll tell myself.

 

I have to add something that just happened (4:00).  A student stopped by to talk a bit.  It turns out he did a 40 day homestay in St. Marys, OH about 8 years ago.  For those who do not know, this is where my grandparents lived for my entire life.  I have many fond memories of being there.  My grandparents owned a garden shop, and as I said once before, the Vannette grandchildren are unique in that the ammonia smell of fertilizer ranks up there with baking cookies on triggering memories.  Grandma and Grandpa Vannette are the main reason I put seeds into dirt to see what grows.

Another late post

 Normally I've posted something by now.  Really, I try to have a post up by 8 hours ago.  I had students in my office from the end of my class (2:30) until about 5:30 today.  Then I had to put together my slides for class tomorrow.  We'll talk about working in America - hours, pay/salary, employer/employee relationship, finding a job.  I will also talk about "benefits packages" associated with American jobs.

I wrote a whole bunch here that I deleted because it was very disjointed.  I know I'm not focusing, so I think I should go to bed (or at least not work for the rest of the evening) and pick things up in the morning.  Maybe I'll include some office comic strips and tell them about television shows about work life.  I'll have a few hours to iron things out.  We shall see what comes of it all.

Ideas for Classes

 Last week I asked my students what they would like to learn about American culture.  Several talked about job hunting and working conditions, some asked about driving rules, and today in an office visit one asked me about values.  What do American's value?

This got me thinking because I don't really know.  I have a strong feeling about what I value, but I don't think my values line up with a "typical American."  On the surface we say we value things like family, community, hard work, fairness.  Our actions lead me to believe we really value money first and foremost.  If any of our "lip service" values get in the way of making more money, well, those others are easy to forget.

So, then I thought we value self-determination and the notion of the individual.  However, I am drawn back to the conclusion that for many Americans if my notion of individuality and self-determination interferes with their acquisition of money (not wealth, because that is out of reach for most of us), they would rather I give up for myself so they can profit.  Consider we have the saying "leaving money on the table" to signify a mistake in negotiating.  Jealous greed often drives our decision making.

It's somewhat easy for me to think like this because I have a stable, well-paying job that affords me the opportunity to travel to Japan during a global pandemic to be paid to teach about American culture and learn how to be a better version of myself.  I know my experience isn't the same as so many other people.  I know where my next meal will come from.  I know I'll be dry when it rains, unless I choose otherwise.  I have entertainment and hobbies and supportive friends and family.  When it comes down to brass tacks, I have a pretty easy life.  Most Americans do not have things as good as I do.  And these aren't the people I think about when I say "Jealous greed often drives our decision making."

If we used the "money left on the table" to support people so they had food, shelter, companionship, and mental stimulation we would be valuing family, community, hard work, and fairness.  We would also be developing a sense of self-determination and respect for the individual.

The student who talked with me today said she is nervous about her English.  All of them say that.  But she added a reason.  She is forced to be too simple in her statements.  She does not know enough English to say what she really thinks or to have a meaningful discussion about a topic.  (We used a translator app for some of the ideas and thoughts.  The apps interfere with the rapid communication that happens when you are talking about something that matters to you.)  The English she knows is very strong.  She has good pronunciation and can speak with fluency.  This is where some of the students are.  They have thoughts and ideas that they wish they could express, but they lack the words.  I think some of them are reluctant to make some statements in Japanese that they might be willing to make in English.

I'll know them for a semester, and not terribly well.  But I'll do my best to give them space where they can say what they need to, even if they do not yet have the words.

Post 58 - In which I cause a minor panic by going missing

 This morning I had intended to go on a walking tour of some temples and shrines in the area.  We were to meet at Tokushima Station at 8:00.  I biked there, arriving around 7:45 or so and proceeding to circle the area looking for people.  It was raining a bit, so I had put on a grey rain coat.  I did not see anyone, and they did not see me.  Around 8:30 or so, I figured I should head home.  Being me, I didn't think well and took a less than direct route.  I wasn't home until about 10 am.  Brooke had stopped by to see if I was here at 9 (according to the doorbell camera), and Susan had called from campus before I got back.  In the end, I made many people nervous something had happened to me.  I apologize to everyone for that.  Hopefully it will not happen again.

Happier things.  Last night I had ramen with 5 students.  We went to Todai.  It's a ramen shop.  What I mean by that is there is a long, central bar with a raised central portion.  Customers sit around the bar and your order is brought to you.  The students ordered for me.  I had Tokushima ramen, gyoza dumplings, and rice.  The ramen came with thin strips of pork or beef that had been sauteed, green onions, heavily peppered bamboo shoots, and a very rich, flavorful sauce.  When it is served, you break a raw egg into the broth.  As you eat, the egg gets sort of soft cooked in the hot liquid.  It is very good.  I did not take a picture because I was hungry when it arrived and didn't think about it.  I'd apologize for that, but I'm not going to.  One student said of my chopsticks ability, "You look very beautiful using chopsticks."  What was meant was I use them well.

While we were eating the ramen and talking, two of them invited me for sushi afterwards.  I'm not one to pass this up, so...

This was fantastic.  The three of us talked about several things.  Why I became a teacher (I didn't really want to leave college, and this seemed like the best way to stay), what it's like traveling and not knowing the language (stressful at times, but people always help), and what advice I'd give for someone who isn't sure what they want out of life (shoulder shrug).  We also talked about their plans for life, how some things in Japan are changing, where they'd like to go if they have the chance.  In talking about my lack of language skills, one of them said it's okay.  I use chopsticks very well, and I am willing to taste whatever food is given to me.

About that last part, before we had the plate above, there was a plate of tako (octopus) with daikon, carrot, anko, and wasabi.  I put some wasabi on a bit of octopus and one of the students said I should put more on.  She kept encouraging me to add more wasabi until there was quite a bit.  As I ate it, she was looking at me expecting a reaction.  When I didn't react, she asked me if I'd had it before.  I said yes, and that I enjoy the way my nose slightly burns to clear my breathing.  I think she was expecting me to sputter a bit.

So, again, I'm sorry for making people worried this morning.  I hope everyone was able to enjoy their day.  I have ideas for my upcoming classes based on this weekend.  We'll see how it all goes.

Going for ramen later

 Tonight is when I go for ramen at the shop near the apartment.  I didn't have a lot else to do today, but as Jen said this morning, it's good and necessary to have down days at home now and again.  It let's us recharge.  I did need to do grocery shopping, though, so I did do that.

I bought some soda called Calpis (カルピス）which is a "refreshing blend of sweet and tangy made with cultured milk."  My guess is they mean cultured like yogurt and not in a supporter of the opera.  It was pretty good.  Kind of like Squirt, but not as sweet.  I also bought some sudachi, the tiny lime-like citrus fruit the region is known for.  They are meant to be used in dishes and not eaten like an orange.  Naturally, I ate one.

It's very hard to peel.  The skin is thin and tough and there isn't much pith.  Adding to the difficulty, the fruit is smaller than a golf ball.  I used a knife to trim the skin off.  They are very tart, but I wouldn't say very sour.  I'll figure out how to use them.

One last thing I'll leave you with is a picture of the masks I dyed on Thursday.

The one on bottom is what they both looked like Friday morning.  I rinsed the one on top in running water, and it came out blue.  I rinsed the other as well, and it is blue.  Here is what they look like after having gone through a wash cycle.

 

Not deep blue, for sure.  However, they kind of have a faded denim look.  They still smell like grass.  I was worried they won't fit my face well.  There's some pulling at the ears, but my nose, cheeks, and chin are all covered.  It works for me.

Over the river...

 As we were not going to Grandmother's house, we didn't pass through any woods.  Instead, Susan took me to Tokushima University - the public university in the city.  I met some of the faculty there (one Canadian, one American, and one Japanese) and had lunch.  We talked about this and that.  The Japanese professor asked us about the use of articles.  That gave rise to a lively discussion about how we know when to use "a," "an," and "the" in which cases.

The questioner pointed out that sometimes it seems, even though the noun is a countable thing, we do not use articles.  It occurred to me that I never once thought about "countable" as an indicator of using an article or not.  I started running through a list of article usage and noticed that is a good way to get most of the cases.  The consensus among us native English speakers, though, is the usage is so ingrained that we do not really know how to explain when it's right.  I think we really only recognize when it is wrong.  Even there I can't explain it beyond "years of training have taught me that was not right."

I've been wondering how many other rules I follow because I know doing otherwise is wrong, but I can't say why.  It's difficult to be aware of things you do by instinct.  I suppose I should be more mindful of what I assume about student understanding and comprehension.  Tomorrow evening I'll ask the students what they think of things.  Do professors assume too much?  Do we expect too much?  What can we do to help them gain understanding?

Hopefully I'll learn a lesson that sticks with me.

Good morning, Gentle Reader

 

Unlike in Storyteller I will not be embellishing our tale of today's adventure.

I had my first two sets of guests today (not counting when Brooke and Susan dropped me off the first afternoon).  Susan, Brooke, Zoe, Natsuki, and I attempted indigo dyeing with fresh indigo leaves from Susan's garden.  That meant I had to clean my apartment to make it presentable.  As I finished that, there was a ring at the door, about an hour and a half earlier than I expected anyone.  It was two of my students.  It turns out I forgot I told them we'd meet to chat today.  I guess when they asked at the office they were told I was here.  So, they stopped by.  It was a very nice, but rather embarrassing, surprise.  We talked for an hour or so.  The apartment was very large to them.  I gave them a tour.  The two back bedrooms are not being used by me, so I don't go in them.  Even the space I do occupy is very large, though.  When they saw the Wii they asked "You really do play video games?"  I had told them in class I did, but I suppose they didn't believe me.  Then they saw the copy of Deadpool I brought to watch in the hotel.  "You watch Marvel movies, too?"  It's almost like they think I'm not honest.  Hopefully they will gossip and word will get out that I am basically who I claim to be.

After that, Susan showed up.  Then Natsuki.  It was our first time meeting, so I gave her a tour as well.  She knew the place would be large.  Her main comments were "Isn't the bed a little small for you?" and "The shower is very big."  A little later Brooke and Zoe showed up.  Here are the four ladies who worked (and put up) with me.

 

 From left to right there is Susan, Brooke, Zoe, and Natsuki.  We had lunch before this picture.  Even earlier, I brought the indigo plants to the apartment.  Here they are.

We were barely able to get 200 grams of leaves from that.  We then had to blend them with some water and "gently heat to 60 C over 30 minutes, stirring constantly.  That was the phase we were at in the picture above.  This is what the stuff looks like mid-heating.

The blue foam was right, but the green was expected to be more yellow.  From what I can gather based on the process, the blue comes from oxidation of some chemical in the plant.  Normally the leaves are dried then fermented.  The fermented liquid is used as the dye.  We followed a fresh leaf recipe.  I'm not sure we'll end up with blue, though.  My fingernails turned blue, as did the spoon we were using to stir the stuff.  The same goes for the plastic gloves we wore to try to prevent getting our hands dyed.  Everything was blue except for what we were after.

Natsuki had to leave before we could actually dunk anything in the liquid.  We soaked white cotton masks in the dye for 5 minutes, then exposed to air for 5 minutes, then back in the dye for 5 minutes, then air, dye once more, now let air dry.  Here we are with the semi-finished products.  I'll post a picture of my mask once it is fully dry.

 It was nice having company over.  On the house hunting shows people are always on about "space for entertaining," and I never understood that.  I still don't, for the most part.  However, it was nice to have room for people to sit and talk and be guests.  I'm very glad I was able to try this.

Thank you very much, ladies.

Academic Differences

 My students learned a bit about American school systems.  The overall structure is similar, but every school in Japan will teach the same content in the same grade during the same week.  One school in a town in the US may be teaching one thing on a day, and another school in the same time could be focusing on something else at the same time.  It's probably a manifestation of the "group" vs. "individual" mentality of the two nations.  

They were also pretty shocked to learn we begin driving at 16.  "Isn't that dangerous?"  Yes, it is, but we value the sense of freedom provided by driving.  That and it is next to impossible to function in much of the country without being able to drive.  One student requested a discussion of laws, particularly driving laws.  If they think driving at 16 is dangerous, wait until I tell them about turning right on red.

Another question that was asked was about meals at school.  How does it work?  Where do students eat?  I talked about cafeteria structure being very similar to here.  I also said many school districts offer breakfast and lunch.  One student asked me why, and I said I think it's covering a failure in our society.  One major sticking point with teaching fully remote last year was many (far too many) students only eat when fed at school.  For a country as wealthy and resource rich as America, that we have children going hungry is a travesty.  

I didn't tell them this, but the truth is I think this is by design - a feature in the system, not a bug.  It is important that we have a large group of people desperate for work so they are willing to take a job for very little pay.  That is how modern capitalism functions, and it is why I am anti-capitalist.

I pointed out that one advantage of the American system is students who do not fit in are not automatically prevented from succeeding.  Here I get the sense that if you are an outlier any hope of doing well is very dim.  When schools approach functional in the US most students can find a group of other "outsiders" that provide some support.  It doesn't always work, but there's a chance.  

Here's the thing.  I know many people who come from public schools in many different states.  Most of these people are decent, caring individuals who try to put the needs of others high up on their list of Important Considerations for Making Decisions.  In spite of our flaws and the concomitant frustrations, I think we can help students learn how to practice compassion.  From here we can try to solve problems.  And, at the end of the day, whether you know how to tell the difference between an integral and a derivative, or if you can name all 50 states and capitals, or if you know the underlying themes of Ethan Frome isn't terribly important.  Necessary, yes, but not from everyone who graduates high school.  What's necessary is figuring out how to respect the humanity inherent in all of us.  In that case, though, I guess Ethan Frome is way more important than doing calculus.

In the words of Oscar the Grouch, "Why don't you go read a book or something?"

A Japanese saying

The students seemed to enjoy working out the meanings of the color based sayings today.  At first they were very reluctant because everyone wants to get everything right.  I managed to get them to write things down, though.  After some time working alone, I counted them off and they paired up.  That's when things went well.  I'll have to keep that in mind moving forward.

Then they had to come up with Japanese sayings based on color.  I asked some students to write a saying on the board so the entire class could see it.  It seemed most knew the saying before the first kanji was even completed.  I managed to guess half of their meanings.  As far as sayings go, I learned my favorite so far.  I could not figure it out

 

You change to red when crossing vermilion.  The bear and cats were meant to explain the meaning to me, because everyone in class struggled with it.  It means a person takes on the traits of those around them.  I can see that as being a warning and encouragement depending on how you feel about things.  The saying makes perfect sense once you know.

We'll see how tomorrow goes with the discussion of education in the US.  I still don't have good questions for them to discuss, but something will come to me at dinner tonight.  It always does.

Plans for the week

 Building on my success in Comparative Cultures last week, this week I plan to talk about the US education system in very broad strokes.  Many students are planning to become teachers, so I think this will be of interest to them.  I also think there will be some interest in the different approaches students have back home compared to here.  

I've been told not to worry about students complaining to me regarding grades or if assignments are unreasonable.  It's just not something they do here.  I contrast that with many faculty experiences in the US where the only interaction you have with some students is when they question your grading and are asking for 1 more point back on this problem.  I know most of us wish students would just stop with that complaint.

Separately, though maybe related in some way of thinking in my mind, since organized religion really isn't a thing here I think the concept of a parochial school may be interesting.  What role does religious belief play in how people think about education?  We obviously have the whole evolution hubbub in the States.  There is also the question of sex ed.  Arguments against including both of these in public education blur (or attempt to erase entirely) the line separating church and state.

I need to work up some reasonable questions to ask them so they can do some writing and discussing.  I have some time, though.

I came up with 10(11 after talking with Thao this afternoon) color-based sayings for my Tuesday, Intercultural Communications class.  Feeling blue, seeing red, white as a sheet, green around the gills, being yellow, black hearted, blue blood, the red eye, a red flag, and rose-colored glasses.  Add "There's nothing but blue skies."  For English speakers these are easy enough without being in any sentence.  I am asking them to try to guess what they mean (assuming they have not encountered them before), then we'll talk about them.  In speaking with one of the other professors here (Kaoru Tanaguchi) it occurred to me that I should ask these students to tell me color-based Japanese sayings.  So, I'm also requesting they write a few of these in Japanese, then do a word translation -- not one based on meaning.  I will then attempt to guess the meaning of the saying.

We'll see how it goes.

As an aside, the hike yesterday was more than just the distance.  The vertical change did some extra work on my calves.  The first few steps after I get up are a bit rough today.  Stretching without over-exerting is the name of the game.

We climb Mt. Tsurugi

 Today Mark took me and four students to Mt. Tsurugi, the highest point in Tokushima Prefecture.  The peak is 1,955 m high.  After a two hour drive to the starting point (about 900 m or so above sea level) it was a 4 km walk up the last 1,000 m elevation.  We ate lunch at the top.  The sky was very clear.  The pictures don't really do the view justice.  Still, here you go.

This is Mark sitting for his lunch.

Here are the students who came with us.  They are all doing Mark's pose.  Apparently in Japan you need to have a pose when your picture is taken.  I guess it prevents you from standing there with your arms hanging awkwardly at your sides. 

 

We chatted a bit.  All of them are in my Comparative Cultures class (of 32).  They asked if I've eaten at Todai, a ramen shop very near campus.  I have not, and when I said "I'm not sure how to order" they said we should all go together.  So, next Saturday evening we are going for ramen.

It was a bit tiring going up, though coming down was harder.  It went faster, for sure, but trying to keep your speed under control as you descend is tough.  After we came down, Mark drove us to the Iya Vine Bridge.  There are actually two bridges - the Male and the Female.  Those identify the bridges, not the people who cross them.  We got our tickets and then walked down to cross them.  

 

After the first one, we made our way to the bank of the river.  We practiced skipping stones, which it seemed none of the students had done before.  Here's a nice waterfall.

 

Then we crossed back on the other bridge.

We then drove another 5 km or so to a scarecrow village.  This older woman has made around 100 scarecrows.  They aren't what you're thinking, all Wizard of Oz-like.  Think hosiery stuffed with batting and dressed.  Like so.

Imagine 100 of these all over a small, mountain village.  In the fields, fixing wiring, working on cars, sitting and talking.  The whole place has an eerie, B-level horror movie feel to it.  I think it would be unsettling to be there at dusk.  This was the only picture I took there because I felt odd.  It's in an old school.  Most of the town you drive past to see things.  This was the only place we entered and I noted that this was also the only time Mark left the car running when we got out of it.

A lot of time outside, and I saw things that I cannot see anywhere else in the world.  A nice end to the weekend, for sure.

Yet another mall.

 

This was my ride out this morning.  Tami mentioned a third, larger mall that was a bit far to ride to.  I don't know if Aeon Mall was it, but I rode there.  You can see it's about 6 km (3.7 mi) from campus.  It is larger than either Fuji Grand or Youme Town, but I don't know that it was really worth the trip.  

That is, aside from the fact that on the route there I passed a beer vending machine.  It was on the other side of a busy street, so I can't be completely sure that it did really sell beer.  I cam back by a more, shall we say, circuitous route (read that as I got lost and had to double back three times) which means I did not pass the machine a second time.  However, I promise I will go looking for it again.  If it was such a machine, I will buy beer from it and let you all know.  There are cigarette vending machines, and even though I don't smoke I'm tempted to buy some just to be able to say I did.  Not many 40 year old Americans can say they purchased cigarettes from a vending machine.  People in our parents' generation did, sure.  But we were too young and they were phased out by the time we were in middle school.

In any case, one thing Aeon Mall has going for it is the main entrance.  The white pipe structure is reminiscent of the hats worn by the Awa Odori dancers.

There were also many small playgrounds on the way there.  Every time I passed one I thought of the trip we took to Dublin when Jen studied abroad.  We did lots of neat things.  I mean a lot of neat things on that adventure.  But one of the most memorable was spending 30-40 minutes at a small playground while the boys acted like elementary school boys.  No matter what happens or what is going on, we all need to find time to be a child.

I suppose what I'm saying here is Aeon Mall today was like life for me.  It's about the journey and not the destination.  

I saw some interesting fashion pieces.  In one store that is kind of like a cross between American Eagle Outfitters and Abercrombie and Fitch (I know that's almost retail inbreeding, but go with it) I saw this shirt.

It is quintessentially Japanese "American street fashion."  Before you chuckle at the Satisfactory Store too much, remember we are not much better, what with our tribal tattoos, Chinese character shirts, and Native American appropriation.

I wandered through a bookstore.  Not because I need something to read.  I couldn't read anything I'd buy there anyway.  I'm looking for a map of the US to hang in the Exchange Professor's office.  I'll come back to that in a moment.  While I was looking, though, I happened upon this papercraft model and immediately thought of a friend from high school and college.  Mike, if you're reading this post I hope you are okay with me having this association.

Now, the reason I want a map is students here do not have any concept of how devoid of buildings the US is.  I talked about this in my Comparative Cultures class and showed them these pictures.

 The first is a map of SVSU's campus and the surrounding area.  The black outline is the border of our campus.  The second is an overlay of the first on top of Shikoku University's campus and surrounding area at the same scale.  The students here know the boundary of their campus pretty well.  For those not so familiar, here it is.

The red is Shikoku University's campus.  They were shocked at how much land SVSU has.  I pointed out that if we shift things a little so the buildings overlap better, both Donki and Fuji Grand would be on SVSU's campus.  Not to mention all of the things in between.  They were even more surprised at the utter emptiness of the surrounding area.

While I was riding home I had a thought for my Intercultural Communication class.  We have a lot of color-based sayings in English.  Feeling blue.  Green around the gills.  Seeing red.  I think I'll give them an in-class project to interpret these sayings (and others) and see if they have near equivalent ones in Japanese.  Not necessarily based on color, but colloquialisms that native speakers understand and foreigners scratch their heads at.  Some, though, make sense in any language.

[Profanity warning.]

Apparently in Russian there's a saying about people who choose the most difficult way to do anything.  I've been told it translates as "picking peaches by banging your dick against the tree."  This is one that is not lost in translation in any way, shape, or form.

[Profanity over.]

I think the color ones are more strongly culture dependent.  Even there we have contradictory meanings.  Just think about a blue-blood feeling blue.

Enough of that.  Tomorrow Mark is taking me to Mt. Tsurugi.  It's almost 2,000 m high, and it's the highest point on Shikoku Island.  A few students will go with us as well.  It will take about 2 hours by car to get there, so we are leaving around 8:30-9:00 with a plan to eat lunch at the top.  I'll give you three guesses as to what my next post will be about, and the first two don't count.