Yes, in case you didn’t know…I’m graduating. Again.
You see, Aussie school years finish in December, so I graduated, then did the last term here. Yup, everyone’ll be crying (they’re a very emotional bunch, those Japanese) and I’ll be like, “Yeah, that was a pretty fun few weeks, can we go now?” 
)
Now, there’s something you must know before we go any further. Japanese graduations are not at all like Australian ones. They’re just on a completely different level. In Australia, they’re laughing, happy celebrations where people stuff up, jokes fly everywhere, and just really relaxed and informal. Over here? Complete opposite end of the scale.
For a start, they have a graduation uniform: blouse, pleated skirt, jacket, black shoes etc. So ewww compared to my previous fashionable get-up (click here for a photo). And more to the point, they are abominably formal. You see, Japan is just a really formal country – you have to announce your name and grade and ask permission to enter every time you enter the school office, class periods are officially announced and closed, and you have to bow before basically everything you do, which is annoying…the list goes on. You just have a lot of respect for your elders, and everyone around you, I guess. And graduations are the absolute worst.
At our very first graduation practice, we spent 45 minutes practicing how to walk, sit up, sit back down again, and bow, which also included things like how to place your fingers while bowing, and the exact position of your head etc. My teacher even came round and felt all our backs while we were sitting on our chairs to make check we had the correct posture. I know, right?! You have to get up and sit down so many times, it’s just ridiculous. For example, you have to stand up the exact moment a speaker sets foot on the stage, and when they they’re finished and step back you have to bow in time, and then the second they’re off the stage you sit down….
B.O.R.I.N.G.
10 times worse than my fantastic graduation at Ripponlea. ;( Ah, well. I can relish in dissecting the experience like so.
You also sing songs and stuff; naturally they’re all brilliant singers too, and I don’t know a word. Not even the Japanese national anthem! My poor teacher’s like, “You’ve heard this at the Olympics, right?” Well, sorry I have no interest in your national anthem!!! (Sorry, Anthem.) It’s a very slow, haunting melody at that; not at all like our cheerful Aussie sing-a-long.
Anyway, that’s on the 24th, so it’s coming up in…11 days! And, look, before you completely write off this country as a mini prison centre, it’s actually not that bad as I just made it out to be. Yeah, it’s strict but it’ll sure be an experience! And after the ceremony we all go have luch at the Italian restaurant nearby, so it can’t be all bad.
Ruby
xoxo
Tags: ceremony, graduating, graduation, Japan, School
Posted by rubyrox on Mar 10, 2010 in
Japan,
School Differences Between Australian and Japanese Schools
| Japan |
Australia |
| They wear casual clothes |
They have school uniform |
| They have squat toilets |
They have normal toilets |
| They give you school lunch |
You bring your own school lunch |
| You clean the school every day! |
Cleaners clean the school |
| School Hours:
Starts at 8:10 and ends at 4 – about 8 hours
I leave at 7 and return at 5 – about 10 hours |
School Hours:
Starts at 9 and ends at 3:30: about 6 hours
I leave at 8:45 and return at 3:45: 7 hrs |
| Everyone walks to and from school in special groups |
Everyone comes and goes by themselves, by all types of transport |
| There’s no food in the morning break |
Everyone had a snack at recess |
| Total break time is approximately 40 mins |
Total break time is approximately 1 1/2 hrs |
| You wear special indoor shoes inside |
Normal shoes |
| It takes ONE HOUR to get to school |
It was, like, 2 minutes ‘til school |
| Subjects:
Science
Japanese
Maths
English
Computers
Sport
Art
Music
Manual Arts (Woodworking etc)
Society
Civics and Citizenship
Home Economics
Moral Studies
Calligraphy
Health
It’s just like high school! |
Subjects:
Inquiry Based Learning (PYP)
English
Maths
Italian
Computers
Sport
Art
Music |
| There are no computers in the classrooms |
They have computers in the classrooms |
| Toilet slippers |
Toilet WHAT?!?! |
| They have a sports uniform |
They don’t have a sports uniform |
| You get a lot of homework |
You barely get any homework |
| There’s a bottle of sanitiser in every room |
There is no sanitiser to be found |
| There are six periods in a school day |
Periods are a humble-jumble and are subject to change randomly |
| At TV in every classroom |
No TVs in the classrooms |
Tags: australia, differences, graph, Japan, poo, School, table
Posted by rubyrox on Mar 5, 2010 in
School Aloha y’all! Da Capp is back! And she’s gettin’ good in da kitchen!!!
To explain that drastic intro……..today at school we had bento making. (Bento is Japanese lunch, you know with all the rice and vegies all and stuff all put together beautifully in a little box.) This was a big step for Planet RubyRox, as my previous cooking repertoire extended to cheese toast. But it was still fun. I made the bento in with my seating group. I helped make fried egg, potato salad, and asparagus thingys wrapped in ham. Oh and weeeeeeeeenerrrrssss. AKA weeners. It was SEW much fun darlinks. You had to wear an apron, which was a slightly inconvenient as my friends all got around in uber-cute designer aprons, while I was stuck with my cream-coloured namby-pamby get-up with boats on it. BOATS I tell you. Oh, well. I wore a Dad’s handkerchief as my headgear, so I looked like that Heidi girl, which got everyone off on a “OMG you’re so cute Ruby” (in Japanese) fest. 
Well. I have stoyle (sic)…………..:P
I then felt rather ill after lunch, after the bento and school lunch, including 3 bowls of soup and 2 cartons of milk :OOOOOOOO
Hey, I was hungry, all right?!
Tata for now,,,,
The team at RubyRox
(Teams can be one person, can’t they??)
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Posted by rubyrox on Mar 1, 2010 in
Japan Well, I’m here, and I’ve settled in. Stuff writing about this stupid blog. Hold on peeps until I can think of something remotely interesting to write.
Toodlas for now,
Ruby x
Tags: poo
Posted by rubyrox on Jan 22, 2010 in
Japan This post covers everything that`s happened in Japan. Bear with me, folks, it`s gonna be long!!!
Monday
Ok…first up, on Monday night, we stayed at a hotel lodge thingy near the airport. My two friends Tess and Helena saw me off, which was fantastic. (I`d like to make it sound all dramatic like they waved me off while the plane took off, which is what most people are under the impression of due to some accidental dramatising, but still; it was the next best thing.) That was at about 11 at night, as I`d played with them the whole day.
Tuesday
Early – VERY early morning for me, mum and Felix (Dad had already left for Japan on the 10th) – 4 o`clock early!!! I was so very incredibly tired. Then straight onto a 6 o`clock plane to the Gold Coast, where we stopped for a few hours, relaxing in the Jetstar Gold Coast Lounge (I know, right?! Jetstar?? WOW), which was pretty luxurious. I had a buffet breakfast and chilled.
TO BE CONTINUED 
Posted by rubyrox on Dec 12, 2009 in
Bad thing!!!,
Fully sick events,
School WOW I came second in a karate comp.
WOWx2 Graduaton is inn 2 days!! (Weep, weep.)
WOWx3 I love the 5/6 Class movie!!!!
Ruby
Posted by rubyrox on Sep 19, 2009 in
Japan I Love Pon and Zi (ponandzi.com), these two adorable emo characters (well, Zi is a bit mean, but still).
Anyway, here I am haplessly trying to embed the ‘Are You Pon or Zi?’ quiz. [Note to reader: it didn't work. It just tells you my result.]
| Are you Pon or Zi?
Your Result: You are Zi!
Congrats! Your Zi. You like pretending to be a ninja and eating the heads of gummi bears. You don’t like spiders or cats but no worries ur loved one is always there to help. speaking of loved ones, ur deeply in love with them and they make u soo happy that sometimes ur heart even bleeds.
|
| You are Pon! |
|
Are you Pon or Zi?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz |
HOLIDAYS HERE WE COME!@!!!!!!!!!
Ruby
xx
Posted by rubyrox on Sep 15, 2009 in
Breaking news,
Fully sick events,
School OMG!!!!!!! Last night was the school concert!!! You know the one I told you about a few months earlier with the seven Dorothys?!?!!?!?!?! I was SO nervous. My cousin and Aunt also came to see me. I sang ‘Over the Rainbow’…so nerve racking…
Our concert was an adaption of ‘The Wizard of Oz’; it was really cool. All the classes did their own singing and dancing item, and as usual, the year 6s (that’s me, by the way) got the main parts. We didn’t get much time to practice, but we did really well, excluding long breaks between scenes and a few fluff-ups. Still. A great year. We took some photos with the came of me in my dress, I’ll upload the l8er (I’m @ skool now). There were also professional photographers there to take pictures of the show, and induvidual ones for the 6s. I hope I get good ones; I have a feeling I might get a dodgy of og me mid-sentence, eyes closed, looking spaz. But let’s be positive..
I’m kind of drowsy now, but yeah. It was fantastic fun. I can’t believe all that planning and rehearsals and excitement, and now it’s all over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I have skool camp to look forward to next. AHHH!!!!!!! We need 2 plan red faces……It’s @ Anglesea. I’ll keep you posted.
BTW I didn’t make it through the state futsal trials. I was in the top 17..:(:(:(:( Well it was to be expected so I’m not sad or anything. I didin’t care at all!
Well, bye for now.
Rubyyyy xx
P.S. I’m feeling STUPIDSTUPIDSTUPID because today, just before I started bloging this, I got two spam comments. Usually as all the comments I get are spam, I just delete them all. But lately my friend Tessie had added some comments BUT I DELETED THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!! SHE WAS SO NICE AND NOW I AM BACK TO ZERO COMMENTS!!! AHHHHH!!!!
Over.
Posted by rubyrox on Sep 4, 2009 in
Japan Hey!!! Yesterday we had the district athletics at Sandringham Reserve. It was a real nice day. (Like my old-style ’slang’?) I came fifth in triple jump and out relay team came fifth. ***May i point out that in my last three years in the districts triple jump, I have come 1st, then 3rd, then 5th?! Proggressively worse. 
:(:(. My last year and all…
Well, the school concert is coming up. I’m really nervous. Sorry I can’t write more, but I’m awfully busy. (Fine. Just busy.)
Ruby xx
PS Check out my new album!
Posted by rubyrox on Aug 24, 2009 in
Japan OMG!!! It’s incredilbe! I made the first futsal trials! OMG! That was completely unexpected. Unfortunately, this means I have another flat-out weekend: Saturday; Japanese School, Parent-Teacher Interviews, go home, straight to faraway futsal trials, come back, straight to karate friend’s house for a sleepover, Sunday; next morning straight to karate competition with karate friend, straight to soccer game against Pascoe Vale, then home to make soap for my friend and I’s awesome homemade brand Enlightened (look, it our stuff, we can endorse it)……
So tired. Well, got to go,
Ruby
xx