December getaways & more!

Last week I wrote the Japanese proficiency test again. It's only offered once a year on the first Sunday of December which must be the worst possible time of year to offer it. At least for people teaching in schools because this is when term finals begin and everything is just crazy. A few friends of mine (Dan, Mika and Cliff) were also there but they were taking different exams. While my test turned out to be slightly harder than expected the most interesting thing for me was the cheating going on. Not as bad as the cheating scandal that swept South Korea but still annoying none the less. In previous years I had often noticed students openning their exam booklets early despite the verbal and written instructions not to do so. It's one thing for junior and high school students to cheat, it's another for adults. They are supposed to know better. This year things looked promising though as the test monitors in my classroom (the test was held at Kobe's Konan University, the monitors all appeared to be University students) began the morning session by explaining a new 'card' system. Openning a test booklet early, speaking during the test to another student, etc, would result in a yellow card which was a warning. Two yellows would equal a red. Looking at another student's paper or having a device make a noise (watch alarm, mobile phone, etc) would also lead to a red card. A red card meant automatic expulsion and a grade of zero. They seemed very strict and every test monitor was armed with a set of cards. I was relieved because this cheating had always angered me.
During the morning session of the test (the vocabulary and kanji recognition section) a girl's mobile phone began to play a very loud and annoying ring tone; about 5 or 6 times. Everyone was stunned, including the test monitors who remained frozen at the front of the classroom. It was a big classroom holding a few hundred people but everyone near me could see the embarassed young woman reaching into her bag to turn off her phone. I put down my test for the next few minutes as I was eagerly awaiting the coming red card. A red card, it would be a sight to behold. A beautiful, vengeful, scarlet red card. But it never came. I couldn't understand it. I was clearly distracted for a time waiting for the hammer of justice to smite the wrongdoer. And wasn't this exactly why a mobile phone ringing during the exam meant disqualification? Because it would distract everyone. But nothing happened. So I continued on with the test under the pretense that maybe, just maybe the test monitors would take action after this first session had finished. It made sense. Perhaps asking the young women to leave would make an even bigger scene and cause more problems. Yes the young but hardworking test monitors were surely wiser than me and had long before come to the same conclusion.
Approximately 45 mins later everyone filed back into the classroom to begin the 2nd test session, the listening test. Lo and behold the girl-of-many-distractions returns. Hmmm, this is strange I thought. Once again the test monitors unsheathe their red and yellow cards as the rules are clearly explained. Subsequently the test booklets were handed out. And again, as in previous years,I saw a few students opening up their test booklets early before the test had begun. 1 of them was the girl with her 1-man-band mobile phone. The other one was sitting next to a buddhist monk dressed in his yellow robes. It certainly takes a lot of gumption to blatantly cheat while sharing a desk with a monk. I was getting very annoyed as the test monitors walked up and down the aisles checking everyone's ID and handing out the answer pages but not doing or saying anything to these 2. When one of the monitors walked past me I asked her if it was alright to open the test booklet. She replied no. So I asked about the 2 students sitting a little in front of me who were busy looking through their books. She went up to both of them and politely asked them to close their booklets and then went back to the front of the classroom to await the starting bell. I couldn't believe it! These were obvious yellow card fouls but again nothing happened. I realize these are not burn in hell sort of sins as no answers were copied but they were clear rule violations. And I did in fact see 1 student turn around, look at her friend's paper, and write some answers at the end of this second session. When the session ended I approached the monitors and their overseer (well the only guy to use the mic) and told them I didn't understand the yellow/red card system. I asked why the girl with the mobile phone didn't get a card during the first session. The head monitor explained that it was a big classroom and they weren't sure which student had made the infraction. I replied that the mobile phone rang enough for any of the monitors to have located it. I also told them that if they had asked anyone in the area they could have found out. They could have asked me in fact. Then I asked about the 2 women who had opened their booklets early. I had pointed them out to a monitor so there was no question as to who the perps were. The man gently replied that in cases like this merely making eye contact is enough to get a person to close their book. Huh? In other words the test monitors were not willing, not prepared, and simply weren't going to use the cards they had so brazenly swung about earlier. Then again, they were just University students (probably younger than most of the people taking the tests) and probably were just getting paid minimum wage. Accusing a foreigner of cheating on a test and causing a scene was probably the furthest thing from what they wanted to do and I honestly can't blame them. However, it was their job. The last thing I told them before heading out to lunch was that I was worried that no one would respect them if there were no consequences for breaking the rules and cheating. They bowed and duly thanked me for my valuable input. Then I left.
The 3rd and final session of the test began as had the others, with a display of the yellow and red cards and a firm explanation of the rules. I could only laugh quietly to myself. Actually I could have laughed out loud like a madman without any repercussions I suppose. Once again I saw the woman sitting next to the monk reading through her question booklet before the test began while carefree test monitors casually strolled by her. I didn't say anything this time though. What would be the point?

Yesterday a bunch of Yukiko's friends came over for a lunch party. We laid out an assortment of food and everyone rolled their own sushi. It was fun and tasty. Yukiko's friend Yoko brought along her 1 1/2 year old girl Fuka again. She is lots of fun and likes playing. It's also interesting to see how stereotypically girlish she is becoming. I don't mean this to sound derivative in any way, but it's easy to see how she is imitating her mom and is fascinated in traditionally female things. Her two biggest thrills came while wearing different purses on her shoulder, and looking through Yukiko's jewellery. I played with a ball with her for a short while but she quickly lost interest in that. The first time I met her, during the summer, she spent much more time playing ball with me. Perhaps I'm just boring?

Tonight I'm headed out with Owen for a beer. Owen is my best friend from Canada's cousin. When I was a university student I would often go to his house for Sunday dinners. His family always treated me great so I'll probably buy him a beer or two tonight. I also coached his highschool volleyball team (assistant coach to be precise) but haven't seen him since last year at Neil and Rachel's wedding. If he's grown any taller in the meantime I don't know anywhere that'll fit him.

All of my winter holidays are set and ready to go. On Tuesday my friend Craig and I are going skiing in Hokkaido for 4 days. We're staying at a really nice resort called Rusutsu Resort. It's even got a wave pool. Nice. Then over New Year's Yukiko and I are going to Okinawa where hopefully we'll be able to do a little diving. So I'll be hitting both the northenmost and southernmost spots in Japan in a 2 week span. Should be great.