Monday 5 November 07
Kumamoto
I had a good night’s sleep finally. I woke up a couple of times afraid that I missed my alarm but it was still very early in the night. I finally got up at 6:30am with enough energy to start the day.
The breakfast was interesting, as if anything in this country hasn’t been so far. Soup, rice, and several kinds of fish. I hesitated in the beginning to have fish for breakfast but then I thought… what the hell… if in Rome.
I saw people in the Kimonos provided in the room coming out from the hot springs… It is probably a good idea to go down to the hot spring instead of the morning shower. I should try that this evening after the dinner party. And I should get the Kimono on and get a photo in it.
I had sometime after breakfast to get nervous about my presentation. It is amazing how I still get nervous as it is my first time presenting every single time I am in training. I know the presentation by heart now and I can even do it without the power point but I still get nervous like a teenage girl going to her first date. I like to think that this is healthy and that this is because I am passionate about the work and training but it is still an uncomfortable feeling. How on earth can I get people to forget their prejudices, distinguish between clinical medicine and public health, think logically about health, ignore their training, change their concepts and behaviour, and be passionate about what they are going to do in 105 minutes?! I guess I can only try.
I bought a Lipton apple ice tea from the vending machine (surprise!) and went in. It took me a minute or two to get in the mood and start going smoothly. I know that I enjoy teaching and I get so much in the role and I know that not all people are comfortable with my overly interactive method. But the Japanese are more resistant than anyone I have worked with. I have been told that they here expect a more lecture approach than my very open self. But what I was getting was very attentive, but blank faces. No feedback what so ever and certainly not the conversation style presentation I try to make.
I finished the presentation a little bit frustrated. I have bitten a good half an hour of Hervé’s time. I guess he hates me as he can present about dead bodies less than he would like to. But what the hell.
I was surprised outside with quite a few people coming and telling me that they loved the presentation and that it was very interesting and informative. That improved my mood a little bit and I was happier now. From this point on in the training, I will be around to answer people’s questions and have chats about what it is to work on health in disasters. I guess this part I like more than the class room.
The lunch was another Japanese feast. Although I really like Japanese food, but I think it will take me quite a while to crave it again. It is raw fish, dried fish, grilled fish and then some steamed fish. But I guess this is what you get when the country is an island. I was happy to eat most of the things they gave me but I just couldn’t swallow some kind of a small fish with shiny skin today that I had on the side of the tray. Anyway, The cultural experience goes on.
Nothing much in the afternoon except that the bloody jet-lag hit me so hard again. It takes quite sometime to get over this. I read once that practically one is screwed when travelling more than 6 time zones east. I have travelled 8 time zones and I am so screwed.
The evening was a whole other story. We had a formal dinner and we met the director of the Japanese Red Cross. Then down to buffet-style dinner. More and more fish but it was quite delicious. I had some raw horse meet with onion and pickles. I was hesitant to eat raw horse meat but everyone insisted that I should try this very famous traditional dish from Kumamoto.
Women were almost all dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos. Those, as they told me, are not the real ones, only summer light ones. It seems the real formal kimonos are quite complicated and hard to wear. Anyway, it was interesting as I was suddenly sent a few hundred years back. I guess I looked silly in my suit and tie among them.
What was even more interesting than the food was the sake. One of the traditionally dressed ladies got me a glass of sake which she volunteered to add some water to it so I can tolerate it. It is a delicious drink. For some reason I thought it would have a very strong taste like Arak and that I wouldn’t like it, but on the contrary, it had a hint of a taste and gave me a real good feeling.
One of the funniest parts of the evening was when I was standing with Alex, Dr. Suzuki, Bob from Australia and a couple others. I was telling them about Damascus, Umayyad mosque and the fact that Prophet Yahiya, who is also know to Christians as John the Baptist, was buried inside the mosque. The reaction came from Dr. Suzuki who seriously looked at Alex and said: “He has two names, just like Batman, sometimes he is Batman and sometimes he is Bruce Wayne”. We laughed at that for hours.
At about 9:00pm, Alex and I decided to go and get ourselves in the hot springs. We left dinner and went to our rooms where we changed into our own kimonos (the manly ones!) and went down. It was below in the first floor at the side of the building. Reaching there, we saw two doors leading to the two separate springs, one for men and the other for women. Not a word in English to tell us where to go. There was a blue sign on one door and a red sign on the other. It took us a few minutes to decide to enter the blue door. We were a bit afraid but to our relief there was a stark naked guy rubbing himself inside.
We stripped and went in. There was a shallow pool where we dipped in and started fantasising about being Samurais in for a dip after a hard day of fighting. It is amazing how men always fantasise about being warriors or soldiers. Anyway, it did feel like we were samurais except that we were different in shape and colour!
Finishing the springs we went back in our kimonos to find Hervé, Dr. Suzuki, Satu, and Mamiko in the smokers’ corner. So we joined, got a few beers from the vending machine and went in a two hours conversation about all kinds of silly things. We talked about the ICRC and the Federation, the work, travel and many other things.
The chat went on until about midnight… I called Rania and she told me about the day. They have made my closet and she tells me that it looks less like a disaster site now. I am happy with that. Rania and I both love Amira’s visit, the poor woman is just too much of a mother, she spent her “holidays” here cooking and helping us. I do not mind that at all but at least hope that she enjoyed them.
Sleeping now… That was long waited.
Kumamoto
I had a good night’s sleep finally. I woke up a couple of times afraid that I missed my alarm but it was still very early in the night. I finally got up at 6:30am with enough energy to start the day.The breakfast was interesting, as if anything in this country hasn’t been so far. Soup, rice, and several kinds of fish. I hesitated in the beginning to have fish for breakfast but then I thought… what the hell… if in Rome.
I saw people in the Kimonos provided in the room coming out from the hot springs… It is probably a good idea to go down to the hot spring instead of the morning shower. I should try that this evening after the dinner party. And I should get the Kimono on and get a photo in it.
I had sometime after breakfast to get nervous about my presentation. It is amazing how I still get nervous as it is my first time presenting every single time I am in training. I know the presentation by heart now and I can even do it without the power point but I still get nervous like a teenage girl going to her first date. I like to think that this is healthy and that this is because I am passionate about the work and training but it is still an uncomfortable feeling. How on earth can I get people to forget their prejudices, distinguish between clinical medicine and public health, think logically about health, ignore their training, change their concepts and behaviour, and be passionate about what they are going to do in 105 minutes?! I guess I can only try.
I bought a Lipton apple ice tea from the vending machine (surprise!) and went in. It took me a minute or two to get in the mood and start going smoothly. I know that I enjoy teaching and I get so much in the role and I know that not all people are comfortable with my overly interactive method. But the Japanese are more resistant than anyone I have worked with. I have been told that they here expect a more lecture approach than my very open self. But what I was getting was very attentive, but blank faces. No feedback what so ever and certainly not the conversation style presentation I try to make.
I finished the presentation a little bit frustrated. I have bitten a good half an hour of Hervé’s time. I guess he hates me as he can present about dead bodies less than he would like to. But what the hell.
I was surprised outside with quite a few people coming and telling me that they loved the presentation and that it was very interesting and informative. That improved my mood a little bit and I was happier now. From this point on in the training, I will be around to answer people’s questions and have chats about what it is to work on health in disasters. I guess this part I like more than the class room.
The lunch was another Japanese feast. Although I really like Japanese food, but I think it will take me quite a while to crave it again. It is raw fish, dried fish, grilled fish and then some steamed fish. But I guess this is what you get when the country is an island. I was happy to eat most of the things they gave me but I just couldn’t swallow some kind of a small fish with shiny skin today that I had on the side of the tray. Anyway, The cultural experience goes on.Nothing much in the afternoon except that the bloody jet-lag hit me so hard again. It takes quite sometime to get over this. I read once that practically one is screwed when travelling more than 6 time zones east. I have travelled 8 time zones and I am so screwed.
The evening was a whole other story. We had a formal dinner and we met the director of the Japanese Red Cross. Then down to buffet-style dinner. More and more fish but it was quite delicious. I had some raw horse meet with onion and pickles. I was hesitant to eat raw horse meat but everyone insisted that I should try this very famous traditional dish from Kumamoto.
Women were almost all dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos. Those, as they told me, are not the real ones, only summer light ones. It seems the real formal kimonos are quite complicated and hard to wear. Anyway, it was interesting as I was suddenly sent a few hundred years back. I guess I looked silly in my suit and tie among them.
What was even more interesting than the food was the sake. One of the traditionally dressed ladies got me a glass of sake which she volunteered to add some water to it so I can tolerate it. It is a delicious drink. For some reason I thought it would have a very strong taste like Arak and that I wouldn’t like it, but on the contrary, it had a hint of a taste and gave me a real good feeling.
One of the funniest parts of the evening was when I was standing with Alex, Dr. Suzuki, Bob from Australia and a couple others. I was telling them about Damascus, Umayyad mosque and the fact that Prophet Yahiya, who is also know to Christians as John the Baptist, was buried inside the mosque. The reaction came from Dr. Suzuki who seriously looked at Alex and said: “He has two names, just like Batman, sometimes he is Batman and sometimes he is Bruce Wayne”. We laughed at that for hours.
At about 9:00pm, Alex and I decided to go and get ourselves in the hot springs. We left dinner and went to our rooms where we changed into our own kimonos (the manly ones!) and went down. It was below in the first floor at the side of the building. Reaching there, we saw two doors leading to the two separate springs, one for men and the other for women. Not a word in English to tell us where to go. There was a blue sign on one door and a red sign on the other. It took us a few minutes to decide to enter the blue door. We were a bit afraid but to our relief there was a stark naked guy rubbing himself inside.We stripped and went in. There was a shallow pool where we dipped in and started fantasising about being Samurais in for a dip after a hard day of fighting. It is amazing how men always fantasise about being warriors or soldiers. Anyway, it did feel like we were samurais except that we were different in shape and colour!
Finishing the springs we went back in our kimonos to find Hervé, Dr. Suzuki, Satu, and Mamiko in the smokers’ corner. So we joined, got a few beers from the vending machine and went in a two hours conversation about all kinds of silly things. We talked about the ICRC and the Federation, the work, travel and many other things.
The chat went on until about midnight… I called Rania and she told me about the day. They have made my closet and she tells me that it looks less like a disaster site now. I am happy with that. Rania and I both love Amira’s visit, the poor woman is just too much of a mother, she spent her “holidays” here cooking and helping us. I do not mind that at all but at least hope that she enjoyed them.
Sleeping now… That was long waited.
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