E=awesomeness

I had to go to Gifu City yesterday for a conference. Usually I don't like going to Gifu, especially when I have to take a train that leaves Takayama at 650 in the morning in order to make it on time. There's not much there that I am interested in doing, it's usually hotter and more humid (in summer) than Takayama, and it takes over 2 hours to get there by train. Plus, if I go for work it means I have to sit in meetings all day, and yesterday was no exception. I would have much preferred to stay in Takayama and go to school ^^ ha ha ha ha, I'd rather be at school than travelling to a city. Oh, how times have changed!

After the conference I chose to come back with some other ALTs on the 615 train. Usually when we take this particular train, we end up standing in the back of the car as the non-reserved seats are all taken by people in Nagoya. Last night, however, we got lucky. There were just enough open seats!

I was pretty tired after having to get up so early, then sitting in meetings all day, so I planned to just plug in the iPod and go to sleep. Shortly after we all sat down the man next to me turned to me, pointed at the ALT in front of me, and asked "is he your husband? if you want to sit together I can exchange seats with him." I just laughed and told him that we were just co-workers and it was fine. I put on the iPod and prepared to pass out.

And then a thought struck me. Hey! He spoke pretty good English. And I had noticed when I sat down that he seemed to be reading some kind of technical paper. Whatever it was it was full of mathematical equations involving integral signs. Something like this:

which I totally stole from the wikipedia article on path integral formulation. This particular equation came from the section on the Schrödinger Equation.

But enough geekery. I glanced over at the paper he was reading again, and I noticed it was written in English. He was reading a paper about something very math-ey, in English! Intrigued, I had to ask him about it.

me: wow! you're reading about math in English!
man: yes, it's a paper about theoretical physics
me: *glances to the top of the paper*
paper: *quantum mechanical theory.....*
me: oh! are you a student?
man: no, I must write some questions for a test so I am trying to get some ideas.
me: so you're a teacher then?
man: yes. I'm trying to make the questions difficult, but no TOO difficult.
me: wow, that sounds, well, difficult :D
man: yes, these days there are so many students who attend university. I think many more than in the past, because they don't want to start working yet ^^ (ha ha)
me: really?
man: yes! and a lot of them want to go to graduate school to keep avoiding starting work [*wink wink, nudge nudge*]. so I must write a good test to find out who REALLY wants to study and who's just avoiding work. Especially in this subject, because it is very difficult to find work in this field. There aren't many positions open for theoretical physicists.
me: O.O

Turns out he's a professor of theoretical physics for a university in Tokyo. He's originally from a town near Takayama, went to high school at Takayama's best public school, then university in Kyoto. He was returning for his nephew's wedding, but he had to give a lecture that day so he had to take the train all the way from Tokyo, via Nagoya, instead of the (much more direct) bus.

I was curious, so I asked him if the textbooks Japanese theoretical physics students study are in English, and he said that for undergraduate students it's all in Japanese. But if they go to graduate school they also must learn English because many of the papers they will have to read about the subject are written in English. Also sometimes French, German, or Russian, but mostly English. And then if they do a PhD, their dissertation must be written in English.

!! Can you imagine? Doing something that difficult in a foreign language. It really makes me appreciate much more how lucky those of us who speak English as our native language are. I mean, sure, I can have a simple conversation about inconsequential things in Japanese (hey! it's pretty hot today isn't it? is this an apple? can I sit here?) but I can't ever imagine doing something like differential equations. Heck, I can hardly explain why I hate eating shishamo so much, ha ha ha

We chatted a little about his work, and then moved on to much more important discussions. Like our mutual dislike of natto


We talked non-stop for the entire ride home. About food, teaching English, my lack of scientific anything since I've moved here, how he lived in France, how he met his wife, how we both like motorcycles. He teased me for wearing my Ducati sweatshirt, when my name so closely resembles another famous motorcycle brand ^^

In the end, I was really disappointed the train ride wasn't longer. That was a pretty damn awesome conversation! And who would have thought? There I was, ready to just pass out and ignore the guy next to me. If it hadn't been for the integrals, something I hated doing in college, by the way, I might never have met such an interesting person d(^_^)b

I never thought I'd say it, but thank you, Isaac Newton.

green alligators, some long-necked geese...

This past weekend (May 16-17) was the All-Japan ALT Soccer Tournament. There are two tournaments held every year, one in the spring and one in the fall, although this is the first time I've gone to one. Usually the spring one is in June, but for some reason they moved it up a month early, so we got to play in some lovely springtime weather (driving rain and wind ^^)

Gifu prefecture was only represented by the girl's team this year as the boys failed to get their act together in time. We were the only participating prefecture with no men's team. Rock on Gifu Pirates!!!

And since our prefecture is pretty large, and our team members are spread from the north (where I live) to the south, this was also the first time we've all played together. The result? After 4 games yesterday and 3 today, in the wind and the rain and the cold, we came in 3rd place (out of 6). Not bad, eh? Honestly we weren't THAT upset when we were eliminated in the semi-final round, as the losing team was free to go home afterwards and we'd all had about enough of being cold and wet.

After 2 days spent outside in nasty weather playing soccer, and then another 3 hours driving home, followed by a quick stop for dinner, I realized I needed to do some shopping before I went home. Cause I knew once I was in I'd collapse into an exhausted, lumpy heap on my bed. So I stopped at my usual supermarket on the way home, hair still a mess from being wet and wind-blown (thus resulting in it being very VERY stringy and curly) and up in a pony tail, and wearing the sweatshirt and fleece pants I changed into after the last game. And it slipped my mind that just about every time I go to this place I see someone I know, seeing as it's the closest market to my towns.

Sure enough, as I'm grabbing some milk I turn around and there's one of my 7th graders with his mom. He says hi and I ask him how he is (your typical quick say-hi-without-really-wanting-to-talk greeting). His mom, who I may or may not have met in the past (can't remember, but most people in my town know who I am even when I have no idea who they are), comes over to say hi and looks in my basket.

The contents of my basket are:
apples
bananas
soba noodles
ground chicken
ground pork
milk

"mom": what are you picking up?
me: *looks in basket*...*grins*....uh, food?
"mom": food! ha ha ha ha ha! *slaps me on the back*
student: *looks embarrassed*slowly creeps away*
me: *continuing to grin at the absurdity of this conversation*
"mom": *points at her son*keep up the good work with him, eh?
me: yes mam!

This was followed by me being spotted by and waving to/ saying hello to at least 4 other students before making it out of the store. still in sweats, hair still a curly mop.

And you know what? It was just another example of why my town is so awesome. Cause I can totally do that and not be embarrassed, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha =D