Like, Children of the Corn, Man

This may seem like a laborious preface to the ultimate topic of this post, but bear with me since it's something I've been wanting to get off my chest for a while. Over the months the award for my least-liked school has shifted here and there, but I think the consistent "winner" would be Kogo JHS. Located way, way on the outskirts of Kusu, its commute is second only to Yamaura JHS, but unlike going to Yamaura the trip isn't rewarded with country kids tripping over each other to drink at the font of knowledge. Quite the opposite, in fact--the Kogo kids are spoiled little jackasses seemingly in a race for last place.

Since I only go there once every two weeks I'm not entirely sure I have a handle on what the real reason behind the slacking is. All I know is what I see, which is a whole lot of sleeping in the halls (really), classes apparently without solidly set start and end times, generous 15 minute breaks between classes, etc. When asked about studying for XYZ test or doing ABC homework they instead brag about how many hours they played the PSP. When asked something in English pertaining to the course content the most common answer is "pass" and "wakaranai" ("I don't understand"). I mean, these are second- and third-year English students that don't know the days of the week or how to tell time--not exactly asking for the moon and the stars on that one. The sleeping in the halls may be linked to the median sleep time of 2AM also. Oh, I can actually say that there are two things that the students seem genuinely enthusiastic about: kendo and table tennis.

And that brings me to lunch today...

I went out to play soccer with the primary school students next door, since they've yet to devolve into contemptuous little urchins, and noticed a small boy with blonde hair on a unicycle. I would have been more surprised were it not for the two other blonde haired primary school girls I'd just yesterday played and talked with at Mori Central Primary School. Natural blondes with Japanese features in Kusu...very Children of the Corn! Today though this little curiosity's name was Jacob, 2nd grade, and he's from Hawaii. Here's where things get sort of ugly. And I blame myself for it. I should have known...

Would you believe it if I told you that up until I spoke to Jacob in English nobody at school knew it was his native tongue? Apparently Jacob's grandmother lives in Kogo and takes care of him for a month each summer. I'm beginning to think it's required by law that all children under a certain age staying in Japan for X amount of weeks must be registered with the local board of education and attend school or something, because these three American kids in Kusu now should be on Summer vacation, not in class. Anyways, there's no faster or better way to make a pariah out of someone in Japan than to point out their differences in front of others. Immediately you could see everyone sort of back off. While playing soccer nobody passed to him and nobody talked to him, like he didn't exist anymore. He kind of skulked off mid-game suspicously and came back later looking sad. The teasing that pissed me off the most though was when the JHS 3rd year students started tossing out random, asanine English phrases to goad a response from Jacob. I'm not mistaking genuine awe at his abilites here, these kids were doing this to point a spotlight on his differences.

When I talked to him he was so smart. Already he could tell me (in basic terms) the socio-economic issues behind Japan's migration away from the countryside into dense cities and was even thinking of ways to reverse the trend! Like looking at a 2nd grade urban planner! If I ever have kids I hope I can teach them about, oh, gentrification, infrastructural capital, New Urbanism and more! Ah...What sweet hell it will be to be my child...

The other two Children of the Corn in Kusu at the moment are Keena and Yuna, 2nd and 3rd grade, respectively. Hailing form Provo, Utah these tykes pretty much have the same deal in that they come each summer until August and kick it at grandma's house. I didn't have a ton of time yesterday to talk to them other than a brief chat afterschool, but they both seem incredibly nice...and isolated from other students. I don't expect them to take part in afterschool clubs due to their relatively short stay, but to not be invited to do jumprope with their classmates standing next to them, or to eat lunch alone like I also saw is just rotten.

We didn't have a whole lot of foriegn students come into Castro Valley in my youth, but I do remember one of my friends in 6th grade, Sun, who immigrated from China with his family and spoke zero English that first year. I can say for sure I'm not looking through rose-colored glasses when I say that Sun fit in well quickly despite his initial linguistic handicap. Are American kids (at least of my generation) just more accepting of complete strangers, and foriegn ones at that? Last I heard of Sun though was that he got arrested for credit card fraud, but that's neither here nor there.

--Matt