Where’s my monkey? Part 1

Walter:  It’s begun to occur to me that Kenji’s experience moving here and mine bear some resemblance.  He’s arrived in a strange land, moved into a new and unfamiliar apartment with an unfamiliar bedroom and had to adjust to a new time zone.  He’s probably not sure how long he will be here, why we’re  here and when he will see his friends again. 

He’s been going to a new preschool – an international school where English is spoken, of course.  The place is fantastic – a bright, colorful space with great teachers that have wonderful, positive attitudes. But still, it is all new for him and a bit overwhelming.  For the first few days when he was dropped off, there was a lot of crying, but this eventually stopped.  If asked if he wanted to go to school, he would say “no!”  A new set of kids, being away from Mom and Dad in a new city – it’s amazing how he can adapt. 

So, the net effect is that in some ways he’s regressed a bit. There’s a lot more of testing that you usually see in the terrible twos, except the little guy’s protest is more like a revolt on all fronts.  Getting out of bed and walking out of his room at night, yelling and screaming in stores, tantrums …all the usual stuff, but multiplied times 10.  Slowly we are working on each issue and he has shown real signs of adjustment, but still the connection to all this change is obvious.

Now Kenji has never been that much for cuddling with stuffed animals, but now, suddenly, his Curious George monkey must go everywhere with him.  He props him up to watch TV; when we read a book, the monkey is there; when we eat dinner, there’s the monkey.  He talks to the monkey, narrates what he is doing when he plays and, of course, sleeps with the monkey.  Clearly the monkey has become a source of comfort at a time when he was needed the most.  You can see the monkey in front of this building in Shimbashi and in the earlier post with Anpanman.

As for me, I’ve been to Japan many times before, I know why I’m here and when I’m going home.  But, like Kenji, I have language skills that are at a pre-kindergarten level and I’m dealing with many new situations.  I’ve got new things to learn everyday too, you know, like how to use the train to go to work and just about everywhere else, for one.  Or, whether I should try that natto-covered tuna or not (natto is fermented soybeans).  Most of all, how do I decode so many cultural mysteries in Japan as we live and work here (more on this later);  Which behaviors of mine are polite or at least acceptable and which aren’t and what do some of the unusual behaviors or reactions from Japanese really mean?  Remember also, that the primary reason for me to be here – work – requires that I learn new business skills in a culturally unfamiliar work environment.

I’ve been taking Iaido classes here in Tokyo (a very old Japanese martial art involving drawing and cutting with a sword, among other things – more on this later).  It’s getting more fun, but to start it was surprisingly stressful.  I entered a new situation with jet-lag : new people and a sensei (teacher) that spoke to me mostly in Japanese.  Like Kenji, I can only understand a few words when people speak to me, so I needed to watch, observe, imitate and occasionally stare with a dumbfounded look and hope that he would repeat what he just showed me – all this during some very hot nights at the Iaido Dojo where most of us sweat profusely while practicing.  Ironically, I started Iaido, in part, to reduce stress and improve my mental focus.

Things have gotten easier for me at the dojo and have started to turn a corner overall.  There is only so much you can learn and absorb at once. Stress is a normal part of learning and change, but sometimes it all leaves me wondering, where’s MY monkey?

An Pan Man! アンパンマン！

Genevieve: An Pan Man is probably one of the most popular anime characters in Japan for kids. Kenji discovered him during our last trip to Japan in April.

He is the main character of the anime, whose head is a bun made by Jam Ojisan. His name comes from the fact that he is a man with a head made of bread (Japanese: pan, a loanword from the Portuguese word meaning “bread”) that is filled with bean jam (Japanese: an) called an anpan. His weakness is water or anything that makes his head dirty. He regains his health and strength when Jam Ojisan bakes him a new head and it is placed on his shoulders. Anpanman’s damaged head, with Xs in his eyes, flies off his shoulders once a new baked head lands. He was created when a shooting star landed in Jam Ojisan’s oven while he was baking. 

We discovered An Pan Terrace, a store solely dedicated to An Pan Man paraphanalia the other day by Nihonbashi Station. Besides, life size statues, the store also had a play area inside along with every toy imaginable. Needless to say, Kenji was in heaven. The only way we were able to convince Kenji to leave, was the promise of an An Pan Man lollipop. We’re suckers (pardon the pun), I know!