the old and new

there was a small interaction that i had today with one of my students that pretty much sums up the whole of japanese life and the way things are for me here. 

i was on my way out of the jr/elementary school and heading back to the high school to eat lunch and finish my afternoon there.  as i came down the last flight of stairs i noticed that quite a few of my 10th grade students were coming down the stairs with me (they have music class at the jr high)  and one of them stopped and gave a hankerchief to one of my 9th graders.  i stopped him for a quick second and asked 'what were you doing back there?' he answered that she had 'forgotten' her hankerchief and he was just returning it.  with a big dose of sarcasim i said 'you mean you were giving your girlfriend your hankerchief' and he just smiled back at me and pressed his index finger to his lips, 'shhhh'.  I was stunned.  this is the first time that any of my students have admitted to having feelings about one another (I know there have to be loads of secret girlfriend/boyfriends in my classes).  i smiled back at him and we walked out the door.  next he asked me a question, 'do you know 'linkin park'?  i told him i did, though i dont really know their music i know that they are a popular american rock band.  he told me that it was his favorite and that he really loved them.  woah.  he had my head reeling.  he had in under one minute of interaction combined the tradition of old with the excitement of new. 

what high school boys do you see innocently handing hankies to their girlfriends in america?  the answer is none.  they dont do that, but they did in 1950 perhaps.  and how many high school kids are crazy about rock music, eyes blazing with excitement when you mention their favorite band's name?  all of them.  that is what a typical american high school kid does.  how odd to witness that mix of new and old in that student, but how cool it was too. 

this is a prime example of life here though.  they are mixing the new, hip stuff of the western world in with their lives that are steeped in culture and rituals.  it is fun to pull it all apart and to see how it fits together again and to learn about all of the old and new through observation, language, ceremony and the occasional lesson from one of my english speaking japanese friends. 

what a joy and a privilege it is to be here.  i did a quick count in my head the other day as to how many days i have left here and it is about 500 now.  i cant wait to see what happens in those days and how far from what i am now that i will be when they are through.