Reggie Thomson’s Diary

Dear Drivel,

It seemed as if I was only just out of bed and then I had to get ready for my classes in North Kobe. Actually, I woke up when the newspaper came through the door, which is usually about 5am - but I didn’t check. When I first arrived, it used to wake me up quite often, but after two months I asked the delivery company if they could change the time when they dropped it in. This wasn’t possible, but since then they have always taken great care. On the bottom of my letter box I have now got a layer of felt which is normally used for stopping door draughts, but acts well as a sound buffer. Since then I have rarely woken up at that time. Fortunately I seem to be able to return to sleep much more quickly now, but at the time I remembered something - I hadn’t yet paid last month’s bill. I’ll never know if the two are connected because I made sure that it was sorted out later in the morning.

The class times have all changed, and it suits me better. We finish at 9:40 allowing me to catch the 9:56 train without any rush. There is a 9:42 train, but it seems foolish to have to sprint for that one. Classes went O.K. I ran out of time for the game I invented for my large 6A class (now 25 students). I was going to get one group of six to the front and give them each a card to mime. They would all mime at the same time for just 5 (maybe only 3) seconds. The other three teams would have to put their cards in the same order, and in turn tell me about two of the students (he can ride a pony, she can use chopsticks), getting points for the correct sentences, or giving ungained points to the performers.

Because I repeat the lesson with the lower level class - 6B, I had to think of another way to practice the sentences. On the spot I thought up a variation to musical chairs (but I had no music) or pass the parcel, depending on which way you look at it. Students are in teams with one card each. While the music is playing (or until I shout “stop”) they must pass the cards round in a circle, making sure they always only have one in their hands at any one time. On “stop” I hold up one card and the person with the same card has to shout out the sentence. Hmm, it didn’t quite work. Thinking up rules on the spot isn’t easy.

One more thing: I’ve started asking the class if they think they have had enough practice so that they or their teams can win the game. (I did this in Japanese and English, but I’ll try to think of teaching the sentences.) The better students said it was OK and the keen weaker ones wanted more practice, which seemed a good way for me to get permission and student self-motivation for continuing with the somewhat boring part of the lesson - the drilling of new vocabulary.

On the train journey home I witness an uncommon occurrence. The couple sitting opposite me left the floor littered with some food, and plastic containers. I didn’t say anything, partly because I hadn’t absolutely checked that it was from them, but also because it seems a small incident to leave litter in a place where, though inconveniencing someone, it will be swept up (Japanese trains are meticulously clean, and I don’t recall seeing much more than the occasional coffee can or newspaper lying around, and certainly no graffiti.) Littering nature seems a worse offence, and by contrast to the trains, Japan is a dirty country.

Well, my line has appeared - time to stop for tonight.

Dear Drivel,

Back in Himeji, it’s been a fairly plain day, with rainy, sit-in-doors weather. It’s just as well I can, because I have the beginnings of a cold coming on, and have been sucking cough sweets and drinking hot lemsips all day. I had time to review some of the presentations that I went to, but I haven’t yet put my thoughts onto the computer to share with other Nohkai teachers, and eventually to put onto the web.

My only venture out today was to Lawsons to stock up on milk, and ingredients for my own okonomiyaki, but it was nothing compared to Hiroshima’s. Perhaps I should download a recipe from the web.

“Robin Hood” was on the TV this evening, subtitled in Japanese, so I could understand a lot more than I usually do. If I buy Jack’s video recorder, perhaps I’ll be able to get many more films in English.

I’m still catching up on lost sleep from the weekend.

Dear Drivel,

I’m far too tired to write anything that even comes up to drivel levels. The weekend in Hiroshima has been great, and to do it justice, I shall wait until tomorrow to put in information about it. This morning I got up early - 6.30 (that’s mighty early for me given last night’s fun) and had breakfast with the home-stay family. They took David and I to the conference centre as before.

My first seminar was given by an Australian, talking about a satellite TV linked language learning program, primarily. It was interesting. The next was great fun - all about using story books in classes, but giving some tips about general teaching that I could successfully put into my own children’s classes this evening. I shall spend my company time tomorrow putting some of those ideas onto the computer and my teaching pages.

I just caught an earlier Shinkansen than planned, and was able to cycle home before going into school. At 3pm, one of the Japanese teachers asked if I could change and do the third year class at the start (4pm) rather than at 8pm. However it usually takes me an hour per children’s class to prepare, and with only two hours left and three unprepared classes, I said no. If they can tell me at the start of my preparation time, I can make some adjustments, or better still a week beforehand. In the event, my 3^rd years had gone home, and all the staff were waiting for me at 8pm. I’m sorry I’m not the “natural teacher” who can produce lessons easily.

Today I enjoyed all three classes, though I probably broke many of the principles I was supposed to have learned at the conference. Two new children arrived with mum to sit in on my lesson in the first class, so I had to adapt all the tasks - actually making rules to ensure that they could participate equally without requiring the same competence. It seemed to work. (e.g. They could say a word while other individuals had to give a correct sentence in the “What’s missing” game). The second class was hilariously funny as I did the “let’s move” instructions in the form of a TV game I’ve seen. It’s a bit like Chinese whispers but using acting. I did about 5 things (throw a ball, catch a ball, play the piano…) to the first person, who then turned to do the same to the next. With three students, they all go the chance to be in all positions. “Making a mess” was fun to watch. Finally, in my last class, I brought in the “spring it on them” principle to heighten the need and desire for them to listen to each other, or pay attention. When I had eight items out of the hat, I hid them, and asked the students to remember them. Like the lecturer, I hope to get the children used to this sort of challenge.

Midnight approaches. Tomorrow I will separate this into individual days to make downloading quicker, and navigation easier. Perhaps someday computers will have automatic blinkers fitted so that absolute drivel can be sorted out according to a user’s criteria, so that only useful drivel is obtained. Maybe if I title each paragraph, I can create an auto indexing system, allowing someone to download paragraphs on a topic rather than having to wade their way though the bog land to find an island of terra firma.

The Daily Yomiuri clippings index

School violence, lack of discipline become focus of U.K. controversy (Reuter) A school was closed because of assaults on teachers.

Letters to the editor - Racism and Australia. An African-American is denied entry to Australia

Dear Drivel,

It was an early start to get to the church service this morning at 8am, for a gathering of about 30-40 or so.

I didn’t get to many presentations today. The first was again an excellent one on teaching using the internet. There are so many new opportunities opening up with this technology. In my current position I have no chance to use these ideas. Part two of the same presentation was about an internet course. However the students had to be taught a lot of the nuts and bolts of the web - the commands necessary to fetch or send files, for example. Having recently set up my own web page entirely by clicking and dragging, it did seem that they are teaching for today’s constraints of technology. I raise this point, and was told that if you are riding a bicycle, it’s helpful to be able to put the chain back on. “Why ride a bicycle when there are cars?” was my reply. Well, I guess maybe not everyone has a car yet. I hope internet reliability and usability improves substantially to remove this component from our teaching.

There was a very humorous cartoon on the front of the handout (copyright Rightennant - to whose page I’d happily direct you). A teacher is standing holding a fan blowing onto a partially melted computer, with a group of students looking on. The caption is “I don’t mean to hinder your quest for knowledge, however it’s not generally a good idea to try and download the entire Internet.”

At lunch time I took my camera outside to peace park. I wanted to photograph the leaves on the trees, but looking up through their beautiful colours to that blue sky from which such terrible destruction dropped. The leaves are a symbol of the regeneration of life.

I was too sleepy for the next round-table on teaching in elementary schools. So I took a cup of coffee, listened to some musicians playing, and waited for the start of a talk I really wanted to get to - given by a “hibakusha” - an atomic bomb survivor. If I get the time in a few days I will type the text onto the web, for I wrote as much as I could. I will put it in a separate folder, because it is not drivel, and I deserve no credit for it. If similar writings are also available I shall put links to them. (see below for text)

I was very moved by her testimony, knowing that I have had life far too good. All I could say as we left and shook hands and bowed was “Thank you” meaning thank you for sharing, for speaking so frankly.

In the evening David and I were treated to a wonderful meal at the Terao’s house, with a large gathering of friends. We sat round a large table and pushed back the “walls” to make room. Later I went on to the Takeda’s again. They dressed me up in a traditional kimono to take a photo of me signing my shodo pages (well, not signing - I have a stamp.) After this we started playing games - a card game that I had been introduced to on the way to Pusan by boat. It took me some time to remember the rules and the scoring. Then I did some of my games - the linked hands and counting game. They really enjoyed the match stick puzzle that I gave them. Using toothpicks I arranged some in random fashion and then declared that this represented 3 or some number from one to five, which I displayed using my fingers, but without drawing attention to them. It took quite a long time for them to see the fingers! Kae thought up a new game using the Japanese counting system.

It was so nice to stay with a family. Again I was late to bed.

Hibakusha’s testimony:

(These are taken from notes that I scribbled as Matsubara-san was talking. I hope they are correct and will happily make any amendments if I have made a mistake. Things in brackets () are not in my notes but I think it was what Matsubara-san said. I am also happy to include links to related sites here. - Reggie)

By Miyoko Matsubara.

For hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors/victims) the bomb does not belong to the past. Every day is August 6th 1945.

I was 12 years old at the time - a Junior High School student. I was 1.5km away from ground zero. I am the only one of two hundred and fifty classmates who (has) survived. My father died of stomach cancer, and my elder brother and his wife also died. I looked after their children. So I couldn’t get married.

On the day there wasn’t a cloud in the skies. It was a hot day. The houses in Hiroshima were very close together, so we had to make fire-breaks by pulling down some of the wooden houses.

About 350,000 people lived here, including 40,000 military personnel. Students aged 12-14 had no vacations, and worked at the demolition sites. Fourteen to sixteen year olds had to make weapons, uniforms and food for the military. Above 16 years old and you had to go to war. Those under eight were sent to the country.

We had returned from the shelter (after the all-clear sirens had sounded.) We were collecting wood and shouting to encourage each other. Suddenly Takiko (?) shouted “B29’s” We saw the planes. I saw a big fire drop from the plane. Then I heard a deafening sound. I lay down. I thought the bomb was aimed at me. I couldn’t see my friend. It was dark. I wanted to cover my face with my hand, but my skin was peeling off. I took my towel out, but the skin of my face came off.

My teacher had said that white attracted bombs, but my clothes had gone. I only had white underwear. Had I worn black I would have been burned. The white color protected me from death.

I was blown fifteen feet by the blast. I stumbled to a bridge. It was crowded with injured people, hands in front of them, crying: “Mother, help me.”

I wanted to jump into the water because it was hot, but the river was full of dead bodies. On the bank one person’s intestines had exploded. I jumped into the water.

Someone (Miyoko?) called my name when I was in the water, but I couldn’t recognise her because her face was all distorted. The fire came.

I went with my friend to Hiroshima station. I wanted to run away. (Miyoko said: ) “Please go to school and tell my teacher I am here.” (I had to leave her there.) Three days later her parents found her dead. If I could have helped her to the rescue centre she might have lived.

My father was a fireman. Suddenly I saw him. “You have to go home,” he said. He stayed three days in Hiroshima to put out fires, and then helped in the first aid. He received a high radiation dose, and became very weak.

I became very ill. It was two months before my face began to recover. My mother would not let me see a mirror. Eight months later I saw myself: I couldn’t believe it was me. “Can I ever get married?” I thought.

Only thirty-five of my fellow students had survived. I studied hard, but my disfigurement prevented me from getting a job, and from getting married. I was an outcaste from society. I was unhappy, without hope.

A nearby church provided relief. I finally found peace. Sixteen Hiroshima (maidens?) went to Tokyo to have plastic surgery. I was one of six who went to Osaka for it - twelve operations over seven months. So I could close my eyelids again.

I got a job as a caretaker for thirty blind children, who had lost their eyes in the bomb. My companion went to the U.S. to get more surgery. But I couldn’t go to America (because of what it had done.)

I went to church where I met a very kind American missionary, Barbara Ramos (?) She was not like my image of Americans. She taught me English. Gradually I came to trust her and Americans.

I began to see that if Japan had had the bomb, we too might have used it. So the enemy was not America, but war itself. I began to work for the disarmament of nuclear arms. I want to many countries. In September 1968 I had six months of sick leave for surgery. I still have two polyps in my stomach. I was afraid. My mission helped me overcome my fears, telling others about my experiences.

I also tell people about Japan’s war crimes in Asia. In 1910 Japan annexed Korea, banished the language and took peoples’ land. Two million Koreans came to Japan by force. So there were 20,000 Korean victims of the bomb. I tell students this. But Japan’s crimes in Asia should not be justification for the dropping of the bomb.

The mayors of Hiroshima petitioned in the international court for the abolition of nuclear weapons - they violate international law. Today there are still 100,000 people who continue to suffer. Nuclear weapons destroy humans. 140,000 people were killed instantly. The bomb created fireballs of (3,500C?). Humans were burned instantly. A shock wave was 11 times as strong as a typhoon with winds of 440 metres/second (?). The radiation was harmful, expecially for those within 1km of ground zero. Black rain contained radiation and started twenty to thirty minutes after the bomb. 40,000 unidentified ashes are buried in (peace park). We don’t really know how many people really died.

We devoted ourselves to the anti-nuclear movement. Today’s world has 20,000 nuclear weapons. We want them all destroyed. Nuclear weapons don’t deter war. Humans and nuclear weapons cannot co-exist. They are against human life. (The inscription on….. says: ) “Rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil.”

Please tell people - friends, relatives, family - how important it is. Thank you.

Dear Drivel,

It’s been a great day. I rushed to the early shinkansen, and was pleased to discover David, so we chatted on the comfortable journey down to Hiroshima. There we took the tram to the Atomic Bomb Dome, which we walked past on our way to the conference centre.

I won’t cover all the presentations I went to - just some that made a big impact on me.

The plenary session given by a Dr. Marti, President of the International Linguapax Committee, was very interesting and thought provoking.

He seemed to be “preaching” the “gospel” of “pluralism.” “God” is many, and is us. “Nirvana” is our earthly and at last achievable “peace.” The great “devil” is the “fundamentalist” who proclaims a “single truth” and a “single conduct.”

However, though it may be a “Western” practice to condemn, judge, and sometimes dip into the fire of Hell itself those who represent the “devil”, Dr. Marti was keen to say that he recognizes the plurality of ideas in a multi-cultural world. Pluralism is constrained to accept it’s “devils,” respecting them, and moving to persuade and change them.

Prejudices cause wars, and the evangelistic opportunity for language teachers is to preach the gospel of diversity and plurality.

Of course I have interpreted his speech from my own prejudicial viewpoint. I don’t have the time to type in the speech as I wrote it in my notebook. I would be very happy to put a link to it right here, so that others can read it without the distractions of my perspective.

My next workshop was very well organised - a look at one school’s attempt to evolve a defined curriculum. A good hand-out explained the process, and left plenty of gaps for us to fill in our responses to appropriate questions. It is great to come away with something further to work through and apply to my own situation.

The plenary by Julian Edge of Aston University was on crossing borders, and some values to declare. These core values are diversity, enquiry, cooperation and respect. One point I will mention, which perhaps explains the outburst above: “religious groups are using ESL (as a means to their ends).” Now I agree that there has to be transparency of purpose. Is religion the enemy to the gospel of pluralism?

After a break for lunch I had another excellent and practical session with Setsuko Toyama on teaching children. Lots of useable ideas, with a good handout. The handouts this year have been substantial.

It’s also been a good time to meet friends, though only Barbara came from the Gifu contingent. John Y-W was also around, so I caught up on some news while we walked to his hotel. He has written a book, a novel about the Spanish Gypsies, that turns out to be a true story, but the readers only discover this half-way through.

David and I went out for an okonomiyaki for which Hiroshima is rightly famed. It’s like a pancake sandwich with cabbage, bean sprouts and lots more - very tasty and filling.

I’m so glad that Mr. Kuroda arranged a home-stay for David and myself. Mr. Terao drove us to his house about half an hour away, up in the mountains, so it seemed. I was pleased to be able to sign a visitors book - I had thought that they were uncommon in Japan, as it seems rare to have visitors, perhaps because of the higher standards and expectations. My visitors book is very bare now. I’d like to put a visitors book in my new home - my virtual home on the web.

Later I went to the Takeda’s house where I am staying. They are a wonderful family. They taught me “shodo” - a form of writing Japanese. So now I have my name in shodo. We were up to 2am!