I'll be off in an hour to see my dad. I'll be back on the 8th.
I haven't been posting things recently because...well.. I don't know. I just didn't feel like typing in this hot weather. We don't put the air conditioning on because we are conscious about the environment.
About the name change, my mum contacted the court and they said we need to have a medical certificate. So we went to the university hospital where we went to 3 years ago. But after waiting for an hour, the dickhead doc said he can't write one just like that because it is a big decision. It didn't make sense. Why couldn't he? The other doc wrote it for me before. The dickhead just told us to find a clinic that specializes in gender and stuff.
My and my mum came home pissed and I searched the web for the gender clinics around here. My mum went out to do her own things and when she came back, she suggested that we go to the other clinic we went to 3 years ago. I didn't like the idea cause the doc there was crazier the the patients. My mum checked the website of the clinic to find that the crazy doc left and a new person is there.
We went there yesterday after school.
He was great. We told him what was going on and he just said "OK I'll write it right now."
Just like that! He even wrote one in English so that I change change my name on my British passport! I was so happy. The only thing was that the 2 papers were really expensive. It cost 6000yen which is about $70. I feel bad for my parents to have to pay for all this but I think it's definitely worth it.
Now all I have to do is submit the papers to a court in Tsuchiura which is next to my city. (We found out that we don't have to go all the way to Mito.) I will do this after I come back from Thailand.
Another thing I wanted to write about happened yesterday at school.
I was called by the class teacher. He asked me why I hadn't handed in the travel permission form. I said "I thought I didn't have to coz I don't need a student discount." I said this because the form is always mentioned with the student discount thing.
He said "The permission has nothing to do with the discount." I thought this statement is a little inaccurate for there is a square to tick whether or not I need a discount.
Anyway, I apologized for not handing it in although I thought it was stupid to have to do that in order to go on a trip.
Then he went on.
"You should realize that you are supported by many people and you should be thankful to everything and not take all you are given for granted. I hate to tell you this but some teachers suggested to put you in the lower class this year and deprive of your scholarship. They said this because you aren't going to a university in Japan. I was against this because I thought it would make you uncomfortable to be moved into another class. I know it's not fair to say this because you didn't ask for it but I think you should tell people what you want and be able to move people."
I understood what he was trying to say and agreed in some things. I do think I don't show how I'm grateful to everything the school is providing me with and I don't take it for granted. I'm even grateful that they accepted me entering this school.
I also know I'm not acting like I'm grateful. I don't talk to the teachers. I don't really talk to anyone who I don't know every well. I know I should change the way I behave.
And I know I shouldn't belong to the class I'm in now. I'm not even doing good in many subjects. I was honestly surprised in April that I remained in the class. It's understandable that they didn't want want me in the class. It would be better not only for me but also for others too. I bet they don't want someone lurking around who doesn't go through the entrance exam shit. I would feel it distracting.
I just wish I can get out of school ASAP.
I feel sorry for the teacher. He's under pressure.
I better be going now.
I'll write about my trip when I get back. :-)
Good news about the doctor and the certificate! I figured that it would be just a matter of finding the right doctor or the right bureaucrat. Don't worry about the cost because I know that no paperwork gets done in Japan without some money changing hands. Every time I want to do something here, for example, buying a new bike, I have to go to city hall and pay some money just so I can get a special paper that shows I actually live at my address on my gaijin card. Having other evidence like a bank statement or bill addressed to you is not enough even though that would be fine in America. It's all about MONEY! Pay the money and you can get a passport for a cat here in Nippon!
ReplyDeleteAs far as the other bullshit, I don't know what they are yapping about! That is just typical Japanese bullshit and I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Yes, your compatriots will take the big, bad entrance exams but then they will have a four year, all-expense-paid vacation at university where they will be expected to do next to nothing except plagiarize some reports, barely attend class, attend their club activities, go to "go-kan" parties, and do next to nothing academically until they finally reach graduation where every single one of them will pass without having learned anything at all except how to kiss their professor's butt and be good little Japanese robots. I know this having taught numerous TODAI students who told me about their "academic" research which consisted of them drinking themselves silly and entertaining their professors for four years while plagiarizing everything from reports in English academic journals which their professors couldn't read or simply having me research and write the reports for them!! It's all BS! Why do you think this place is in such a mess and getting worse every day?
Meanwhile, you will be at a proper university where you will be actually expected to do proper work before you can pass the courses. You will actually expected to think for yourself and show clever people that you can actually think intelligently about issues and produce some scholarly, peer-reviewed research that actually serves some purpose before you graduate. So, if you think about it, who should they respect more? Students who will take one stupid entrance exam or a student who will have to take many difficult exams over the course of four years?
If these guys had any concept of what a real education is all about they would know better. But, as usual, they yap about how great Japanese education is but get angry when you point out to them that we can see little evidence of this greatness in our everyday lives.
Don't wast any time worrying about these guys. Just do what you have to do to pass and start educating yourself by reading as much as you can from the library or academic sites on the internet. You can watch or listen to many lectures from famous professors/thinkers on youtube or on the TED website: http://www.ted.com/. Many universities have put lots of their content online now so you can begin your real education now.
I don't think anybody in your class will go on to achieve great things but I am pretty sure you will.
Congats on the name change-enjoy your vacation!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sensei. I will just try to do what i need to do. I also need to think of what i will do during the period from after I graduate until I start university. One idea is to volunteer in World Vision Japan. I need to prepare well for it and make the most of my free time.
ReplyDeleteThanks Eve. I wrote the paper for the name change today. It seems like an easy process than i had expected. :)