Youths!

I consider myself a morning person, as long as I’ve gone through my AM ritual of drinking at least one cup of coffee and eating my granola while sifting through the various stories in the news. I consider myself to be a morning person not necessarily because I am particularly bubbly or vivacious in the wee hours of the day, but because I enjoy them. I love sunrises, I love the newness associated with the fresh, pure early hours, and I love morning activities such as the aforementioned. However, like I said, it doesn't mean I radiate enviable amounts of energy at the start of the day.

My students at the junior high school, however, are another story entirely. Whereas it takes me a good quarter of the day to actually wake up and feel like a human being, they scamper up and down the halls of the school like Energizer bunnies on mass amounts of amphetamines from the moment they enter the building. I have never seen any of them at the second they wake up (how creepy would it be if I had?) but I imagine they spring out from under their covers with the same zeal for life they possess all day long. 

I wish I could borrow just one tiny bit of their constant energy. I used to be confused as to how they could eat such gigantic school lunches until I witnessed the sheer amount of activity they go through on a day-to-day basis. First they walk to school. Then many of them jog around the track. Then they spend all day in class, and in between periods they run boisterously up and down the halls, screaming at their friends or at least chatting animatedly. Then they chow down an unimaginable amount of food, which makes me feel like Jabba the Hut after eating just half of what they do, and then rush around and visit with their friends again. The students are just a whirlwind of activity at all moments, which is exhausting just to behold. 

After half the day is over, it seems as though they haven’t spent a single ounce of energy. Following lunch, they go to two more classes, spend a half hour cleaning the school, and then go to their after school activities. A few hours after practicing their chosen sport, they walk home, often up to a mile. Then they study, study, study and sleep. Whew. That made me tired just writing about it. Ah, to be young again… 

From 17 to 39

Well, I sure aged fast just from moving to Japan. It did not don on me that the fact that most Asians grow older astonishingly well with little signs of age on their faces until much later in life than for other races would mean that, in comparison, I would look far older than I am. In the same way that being asked if I was 14 when I was, in fact, 19 felt like a huge blow to my gut, a Japanese child guessing me to be 39 years old incited instant astonishment (not in a good way). I was just beginning to accept and embrace my baby face, and now it seems I need to do the opposite: relish in looking far older than I am. That will be hard to do.

The little five-year-old assuming me to be 39 instantly landed on my bad side. Yes, I realize that he was five, and most five-year-olds see anyone older than 15 as completely ancient. Still, not cool, kid. I was just beginning to embrace my alleged baby face. A mere month ago, I was a 17-year-old juvenile and now I need to prepare myself for my inevitable midlife crisis. How is that fair? With a simple overseas flight, I lost 22 years of my life. Dang youthful Japanese genes! It is true, though- a 27-year-old teacher at my school literally looks 18 at best. No wrinkles, gorgeous skin... it's so enviable.

Japanese people do spend a lot of time and money on their appearances, however. Before going outside, even on a cloudy day, they wear SPF 1 billion sunscreen as well as huge visors that cast an enormous shadow over their bodies and 5 feet radii around them. So, I suppose their youthful faces are well-earned.