ENKAI PARTY

Wow... So I just returned from my very own Welcome Party, or Enkai, with the Kakamigahara Nishi staff. For the last few weeks I had been dreading the thought of being whisked away in a bus to a random hotel in Gifu City accompanied by 60 co-workers, the main activity being to get drunk together (only about 3 of whom speak enough English to actually communicate with... and as for my Japanese, I've built up to "Where is the train station?" and "This is delicious!"). But, I must say I had a great time tonight! It was nothing like the boring (and dry) company luncheons I have attended in the past. First of all, the food kept coming in amazing little courses of authentic Japanese dishes. Second, pouring a beer for the principal is an honorable task in Japan. I like the practice that no one must ever pour their own drink - and that doesn't mean you are ever caught waiting. Everyone uses drink pouring for everyone else as an excuse to socialize. It lubes up the conversations in two ways. I actually remembered enough Japanese to have short exchanges with many teachers; and with the help of those who understand English I spoke a bit more at length with many people I'd never even seen at work before. Lastly, and most importantly, I was interrupted 10 minutes into the Enkai by a teacher asking if I liked to sing. Ok, good, he said - then you are going to sing KARAOKE right now! And I was ushered up to the front of the function room, microphone in hand, to do a rendition of "Yesterday" with my Japanese supervisor. What a great way to break the ice... to top it off, two male teachers put on women's blonde wigs and changed into our school's girls uniform - to help you visualize it consists of a small white sailor's top and short navy pleated skirt - and proceeded to sing a Japanese pop song. Later I went up a second time and performed Madonna's "Like a Virgin." They sang the "OOOH!" in the chorus. These are the people who went out for more drinking after the Enkai, but I decided to get back to Kakamigahara, cuz after all the singing and straining to converse in Japanese, I was content to call it a night.