GRADUATION 2018

March 8th was my third and final graduation here at Kashiwa Municipal High School, and it was a day I will never forget.

**here are my post from GRAD 2017 and GRAD 2016

Graduation was held in the morning, in our school's huge sports arena. It happened to be very rainy and cold that day, but thankfully all the students and parents were able to arrive safely. Everyone filed into the arena for the 10am ceremoy. 

Every year, all the teachers and students are gifted manju (bread with red sweet bean) and the best part is our school mascot that is printed on top! You can't really tell in this picture, but he is an Eagle with a hat on so people call him "eagle-cap" haha! Oh, and the manju are red and white which represents the Japanese national flag and cremonial colors. 

My duty was 受付 receptionist and I was in charge of checking in the parents of class 3-A.I have known the 3-A class my entire time here at Ichikashi and they hold a special place in my heart. I was so happy to finally see their parents! I could almost instantly tell who's parent it was based on their face alone, and I was so happy to tell them "おめでとう！“ congrats!

All 314 graduating students waited in the hallways for their grand entrance!

Katayama sensei is a 3rd year homeroom teacher so she came dressed in a beautiful kimono! I love this part of Japanese culture! A few moms came to the graduation in a kimono as well, and I thought it was such a beautiful sign of celebration and respect. 

I love the flower given to all the graduating students to wear! It is so simple and beautiful. 

The brass band did an incredible job, as usual. They perfomred the national anthem, a graduation song, as well as the school anthem. 

The 2 hour ceremony contained A LOT of bowing...and no clapping. You could hear a pin drop at any moment - scary!
Fun facts...
1) students cannot touch their backs to the chair
2) their feet must face forward at all times
3) their hands must rest on the top of their legs
4) they must bow for a 1...2...count and then rise on 3. 

After the ceremony, the audience is allowed one chance to clap for the graduates as they exit. The homeroom teachers gather at the back of the arena to cheer them out...it's the one moment of the whole day that feels like an American celebration!

Myself, along with a few other teachers, watched the ceremony from above...a much more relaxing place!

The 1st and 2nd students all sit up at the top of the arena and must watch the entire ceremony and participate in all the formal bowing as well. Many of them were nodding off the whole time (I don't blame them) but it is cute to see them support the seniors. 

In Japan, every school has mandatory "indoor shoes" that the students must wear ONLY inside...so after 3 years they are in decent condition and one of my coworkers likes to take advantage of this and collect shoes to send to countries in need. 

After the ceremony, the graduates have one last homeroom where they are given their yearbooks and hear one last speech from their homeroom teacher. Steph, my former coworker, came back to Japan last week just in time for graduation!! It was really fun having her back at school and all the students were stoked to see her.

Similarly to the states, students sign their classmates yearbooks. NOT similar to the states, is the quality of the yearbooks!! They are SO fancy and nice. wow. 

Mashiko Sensei was the homeroom teacher of 3A...the class that is very near and dear to my heart. Mashiko is a true father figure to this class and he did an amazing job guiding them through all three years of high school. It was an emotional moment when he gave his final speech to them...and we were all crying!! 

The moms all came in to witness the last class for their kids..Mashiko thanked them all of their hard work raising their kids and for making their bento every day...touching moment. 

It was an extreme honor to teach these students for three years. This group of kids is very special to me and I will never forget them. Hideki, Kyousuke, Kodai, Daisuke, Ekai, Kurtian, Keita, Kodai, Ryo, Avhishek, Chris, Yukika, Yuka, Sayaka, Moe, Yuna, Minori, Mana, Miyu, Fumina, Moyu, Hikari, Hikari, Juna and Kana...CONGRATS!!! THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!

And with that folks, I wrap up my final graduation here as a teacher. Looking ahead, the new school year begins the first week of April where we will welcome a fresh new group of 300+ students. I have the honor of teaching them for one semester, before finishing my job here in July. It is surreal being at the tail end of my time in Japan...considering how long 3 years seemed when I first started! But here I am...just four months away from my time as a teacher at Ichikashi and I am thankful for every day that I get to work here. After I finish up work in July, I plan to travel around Japan a bit more, to a few places further away, then I'll be back in LA!! **bittersweet** 

God is good. All the Time.

26 AESTHETIC

aesthetic
iːsˈθɛtɪk,ɛsˈθɛtɪk/
noun
1.a set of principles underlying the work of a particular artist or artistic movement.

For my 26th year of life, i've decided to work on developing a type of personal aesthetic. I realize that sounds a bit pretentious, but my honest intent is to work on valuing quality over quantity and I believe this kind of creative expression will help me in that!

Growing up, I always had a crazy, beachy way of dressing and styling my room. I loved the bright floral bed spread, miss-matched pillow cases, layered fashion looks and bright handbags. I kept this style going all throughout college where most of my clothes were bought at thrift stores and traded with my roommates. But now that I've lived in Japan for 2.5 year, I can definitely feel a change in my wardrobe and the pieces i'm drawn to. I realize that I wear a lot of neutral colors, mostly black and blue, with gold and silver accessories and some eye shadow and occasionally blush. I don't mind a bold lip color or funky shoe, but I like to keep my clothes simple. I find myself drawn to more high end pieces of clothes and accessories rather than the cheap, replaceable ones. (my family likes to call this, "caviar taste" haha) Tokyo will have this affect on you!

I wanted to work on nailing down what exactly I wanted my "26 aesthetic" to look like and I gathered these first batch of photos online to help me better aim for something. Pink might seem like a surprising color choice, especially for those who know me best, but I feel like it represent the light touch of the femininity and maturity I have recently stepped into. 

so far...this is my 26 AESTHETIC...which is still a work in progress!

CHILL VIBES

This past Sunday I met up with Steph (my former coworker who is back in Japan!!) and we hit up some new spots in the city. It was such a chill afternoon filled with strong coffee, good food, and a cool breeze. The chill vibes were exactly what I needed. 

First stop - AFURI. One of the best bowls of ramen you will get in Tokyo. The soup is yuzu (citrus) flavor and the thin noodles paired with the fatty pork is an insane combo. Afuri is the one bowl of ramen I will consume in it's entirety!! Literally...drinking every drip of soup! We also went to the OG AFURI shop in Ebisu which is just a narrow restaurant with about 20 seats lining the counter. You pay on a vending machine and hand your ticket to the chef. 

After lunch we walked over to Daikanyama and then caught the train to Jiyugaoka...a suburb outside Shibuya. It's known as the little Italy of Tokyo...and lives up to it's name with tiny cozy streets and a lot of fancy bakeries. Steph showed me this dope coffee shop called ABC which had hand drip coffee in double layered clear mugs and a wooden patio out back...uhhh hello perfection. 

From Jiyugaoka, we had to head back to Shibuya anyway...so we stopped by this new hotel that opened called HOTEL KOE. We had both seen photos of it on insta and wanted to check it out...and WOW. It was the definition of Tokyo chic. 

There was a coffee shop/restaurant right in the main lobby...paired with a clothing store on the second floor and the hotel rooms upstairs. Tokyo is always pushing the envelope when it comes to hip, trendy things and this was no exception. 

I love finding these pockets of inspiration in the big city. I is so nice to have Steph back in Tokyo (she'll be teaching at a University) and we picked up right where we left of...chillen out in the city!!

Also a few other random things...

-SPRING IS HERE!! Theres are only a few more cold days on the calendar before the warms comes for good...and everyone is stoked.
-Graduation is in two days! WOW. This year is going to be really special, since I've known these graduating seniors since they were 1st year students and I was the new teacher from the states. Bring on the tears!!
-I told myself i'd read at least one book a month this year (achievable goals, you know!) and I am proud to say I am on my 4th book. So far i've read...THE BOOK THIEF, THE SYMPATHIZER, THE HANDMAIDS TALE, and now i'm on to my next! Feels good to read again. 
-I am currently listening to Kpop playlists on REPEAT and can't stop. The beats are just so catchy! 
 

表参道の写真 - PHOTOS IN OMOTESANDO

"DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT SATURDAY": WANDER TOKYO WITH MY CAMERA IN HAND :)

Photography has been a hobby of mine ever since my parent's blessed me with my first Canon back in college. I was instantly hooked. I fell in love with freezing moments in time and challenging myself to see things in a new perspective. I quickly learned that my favorite thing in the world to photography is...life. Real, every day, naturally beautiful...life. I once did an internship at a photography studio that shoots portraits and weddings, and while that industry is necessary and valuable...it just wasn't for me. It was too posed, to proper, too expected. I was drawn to photography for every other reason. The spontaneity of it, the casualness, the random moments to capture...that's what I love. So this past Saturday, I grabbed my Canon 7D, my 22mm pancake lens and hit the streets of Tokyo with no plan or agenda. Just the love of this city and the love of photography. 

BEST. DAY. EVER. 

I hit up what is arguably the coolest street in all of Tokyo, Cat street, in Omotesando. This street leads from Omotesando (Meijijingumae) to Shibuya...so it is the prime spot for the most stylish shops and restaurants. An awesome instagram account I follow is TOKYOFASHION which pretty much takes all their photos right here on this street. And for good reason - it's full of the trendiest kids in Tokyo.  

it oozes amazingness!! 

THIS HOUSE. ughhh...incredible. 

Follow this road about 10 minutes and you will find yourself in...

SHIBUYAAAAAA.

Best place in the world to people watch. 

I can't go to Shibuya without making a stop at one of my favorite views...HIKARIE 11th floor. This view will always be special to me.

I walked back to Cat Street and Omotesando to snap more shots.

Before the "selfie" there was the good old-fashioned "self-portrait"...and here is mine :)

busy busy day in the city. A lot of people complain about the crowds in the city...but to be honest...I love it because no one knows you, you don't know anyone, and in that way it's endlessly free and endlessly exciting! I love this quote, "I love the feeling of being anonymous is a big city. No one knows me so it's easier to remember who I am." -unknown

People in Tokyo are seriously so stylish. I think the secret is what I like to call... quiet-confidence. This kid on the left was walking with his Hilfiger bomber jacket and jordans looking like a 50 year old dad but rockin it anyway which made him all the more dope! And this guy on the right...had strong asian John Lennon vibes. When he saw me taking this photo he quickly bowed his head and moved out of the way...as if he wasn't dressing for the attention but rather, living his life per usual, NBD. haha so cool. 

Also let me just admit...that sometimes I sit outside Yves Saint Laurent in Omotesando and just stare inside LOL. I can't afford a single item in there..but I just like to see who walks in and out and what the store people are doing. I know, weird, but I can't help it! It's all just so beautiful. 

And can we all just take a moment to appreciate how beautiful and hidden this Isabel Marant store it!!? obsessed. 

Something I love about Tokyo is the architecture. It's some of the best in the world...and so photogenic!! 

After a day wandering around...I met up with friends in Aoyama for dessert at the ELLE cafe. We ordered these amazing strawberry parfaits (seasonal) and enjoyed the cozy and stylish atmosphere. 

Tokyo...amazing as ever. 

This city has changed me BIG TIME. I never expected to love it so much. As a kid, growing up, my image of Tokyo was what most westerners assume - anime. bright lights. crazy fashion. harajuku girls. But living here, I've been lucky enough to see Tokyo in a new light. To me, this city is fabulous. It's clean. Efficient. Luxurious. Convenient. Entertaining. And absolutely never-ending. It's a city with impeccable style and rich history...and I love every day I get to wander these roads.

A Japanese Junior High

Last week, I was sent on assignment to teach at a local junior high school and let me just say...the Japanese educational system never ceases to amaze me. 

Here are a few interesting points:

-Kids all wear their P.E uniforms in class. Which, first off, just looks comfy and makes me questions why I don't get to dress like this every day. The blue tracksuit is so cute an honestly very in style now too. 

-Japanese high schools are tall buildings. The first year classes we taught were all on the 4th floor...and nobody uses an elevator or escalator. That means walking up 4 sets of stairs every time they have to go to their classroom. I was out of breath after doing that once...which made me realize why they're all fit!

-Before every single period, the class leader will do a proper 挨拶 (greeting) and then yell "黙想" (Mokuso) and on that command, every student closes their eyes and sits there silently for 15-20 seconds...meditating and being silent before class. WHAT!!? The first time I witnessed this I was in disbelief. They start off every class meditating and gathering their thoughts to have a positive attitude. Wow.

- 給食  (kyushoku) "school lunch"... every Elementary School and Junior High School in Japan serves school lunch. It's an incredible thing. Every day has a different (perfectly) balanced meal. Some protein, a lot of veggies, soup, a little snack of dessert, and milk. always. The teachers all participate in this lunch time tradition too...they all grab their tray and eat it in the office together. After everyone is done, they put their dishes back properly on the cart to be wheeled back to the kitchen and everyone proceeds with their day. I always love Kyushoku because it is truly the quintessential Japanese childhood meal. 

-In every class I taught...almost every kid was wearing a face mask. The teachers strongly encourage this as a way to prevent the spread of the flu. Face masks really represent, to me, how one thing can be completely natural in one culture...and completely foreign in another. Because if a junior high school kid was to wear a face mask in class in America, people would absolutely freak out and think the were on the verge of death. Yet here in Japan it is as normal as eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the states!! (weird for Japanese people).