Here, women often quit their jobs when they give birth to children
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Ewa Rąbek: How much time do you live in Japan?
It’s already the ninth year.
I guess you got there by accident?
Yes exactly (laughter). Before I got to Okinawa, however, I was living in Seoul, where I was learning the dignity of the worthy. When my money ran out, I started looking for a job. It turned out that a friend of my friend from Poland was looking for a Polish assistant in Okinawa. I went there on a one-year contract with a tiny company. The company quickly went bankrupt, but around this time, on Valentine’s Day, I met Hiro – my husband. It was love at first sight. I found a job as an English teacher and stayed in Japan.
What do you live with every day?
My husband has a consulting company. They call it the government master grants, and it’s true – like no one knows about government funding and programs. Besides, it is supported by companies, the main Okinawan ones, that export products to the Chinese market, its second language is Chinese. I help him with correspondence and documentation. We also work together in our field.
Do you have your own field?
Yes, we ultimately want to have a farm that we can live on. It was from here that I got confused from an apartment in a block of flats in Urasoe to the countryside. Now we live around mom, in Nago, the jungle, the fields and the sea. Before that, we had an hour and a half to walk from home to the field. Hiro went there every Saturday to act and look after everything. I didn’t go all day, and on Sunday he was terribly tired. We wasted whole weekends. So we decided to move closer to the field. In addition, children were born, when we also have their footprints on the grass, little ones dirty with mud and around. Space and fresh air.
What are you growing?
Mostly turmeric, but we also have a few banana trees and shiquaiasa. Shiquaiasa is a type of lime.
Are you selling your herd?
Yes. Bananas and shiquaise go to the local address, turmeric is bought by our partner. He turns it into a powder, it is introduced in the form of tablets. Did you know that the Japanese also make a special drink for hangover from turmeric, which is good for the liver?
It works?
Yes. I found out about it once (laughter).
In a word, you lead an idyllic, rural life …
You can say that, although we do not lack problems. We are currently buying a house that we are renting out.
Hidden?
In semant, but we knew what we were up to. There is no property for sale or rent in the area where we live now. Thread. Neither a ruin for renovation, nor very expensive, comfortable houses. We searched for a long time, finally we found out about a small house in a condition that allows us to move in. We rented it on the way. In a summer cottage and only has one room.
How do you fit in five?
It is not easy (laughter). We have one bedroom which we have separated from kitchens. We sleep on two large, joined together beds. In Japan, rooms for children are not necessary in Japan. Families often sleep together. The name suits me very well.
Are you satisfied with your move to the countryside?
Yes, although people are asking if we wouldn’t like to do often. But mine, we don’t really have a choice. Instead, we have mold and cockroaches in the house (laughter). I know what it sounds like, but we are still very satisfied and we love our new life. It is very good, children have a paradise. They go outside in the morning, have plenty of space and freedom. Even a small river where they can swim. Therefore, just make sure you do not go further, in places with grass, because we are afraid of snakes. We have some poisonous ones here.
Mold, cockroaches, snakes. Is it not too much for a mother of three young children?
Not (laughter). Habu lives in Japan – the legendary poisonous snake that agrees with the longest birth certificate. They haven’t been seen in our area for 40 years, but recently it was said on TV that there are a lot of snakes this year and you have to be careful.
How is it brought up in Okinawa, except that it has to be done in front of the narrow?
Very good (laughter). I was surprised that everyone here has endless patience with children. Ladies preschoolers for some work – whatever happens, they are always calm and nice. Children are also allowed much more than in Poland. The inhabitants of Okinawa, despite being to the Japanese prefecture, have little in common with the cool and closed Japanese. The Okinawans, the elders of the victories, are very direct and affectionate.
Do yours know Polish?
Of course. I speak with them in their original language, we also have a large library in this language. Zosia speaks best, she trained when she was with me in Poland for three months some time ago. Ania was then too young to be from this country, and unfortunately Maja was still a child and was not there yet.
You were born a tenant in Japan, and she can do well there too. Could you count on any as a pregnant privilege?
Yes, and quite a lot. Because, when it is confirmed that the woman’s intelligence and the mother’s booklet are confirmed, the woman’s and the mother’s mother’s confirmation of it, a tag for the child is a sticker on the car. He can then park the car in places for the disabled. Doctor’s visits are regulated by the state, at the beginning every two months, then every month, and finally every two weeks, and then every week. You can help with an ultrasound scan every time.
Is it true that many Japanese women still quit their jobs when they become pregnant?
Unfortunately yes. The representation in Okinawa is so because here women are not coping with the fact that they are the closest, they are generally more numerous. A lot of my friends have three children, sometimes more. In Japan hara mat, or maternity harassment, it means the same as harassing a pregnant woman who has problems at work due to their weight. So some of them give up on success.
What Japanese perinatal care?
In my opinion, she is the greatest in the world, although you have not compared with the others (laughter). The oldest version of the document I gave birth in spin format, two younger ones in a newer clinic. In both establishments the staff was very nice and helpful, the food including no restrictions. When I hear about poone screaming at young mothers somewhere that, for example, I can’t feed the baby or they bleed up the bed again, to a place where you can now. Make us unthinkable. The only thing I could fault is the fact that the pregnant woman may not be in the way it will be. There is probably only one water delivery hospital here. After all, it is born classic – defined on the back. Episiotomy is also a standard.
Japan from anesthesia?
Rarely. I gave birth three times without anesthesia and I really appreciate it. Midwife 10 percent that only some. those born in Okinawa use a different pill than the headache pill!
What’s next?
A postpartum classic – skin to skin and breastfeeding, which mums are strongly encouraged to do here. One week in hospital (two after cesarean section) and home. Provided that, of course, the baby and mom are well. In Japan, a woman during childbirth is very important, she is blown and breathed on. Many Japanese women return to their family home for this time. There, for 2-3 months, the grandparents, who are older children, cook, mum rests and comes to.
What about Dad?
Unfortunately there is definitely no role here. have a problem with solving the problem, because either they have no problems with solutions under the contract, or they do not have where they want to be at work.
Caring for babies on a task for women?
Basically yes, although a little is already here. Still, mother and baby are inseparable during the first period of their lives. You can hardly see prams on the streets, women carry prams, but also Japanese ombu him [ombu znaczy nosić na plecach – przyp. red.].
Doesn’t that make Okinawians overprotective moms?
Rather not, although they also happen to be. Just like everywhere in the world. I really like a sane, sane approach. “No, nothing. Nothing happened. Cry? It’s okay, it will stop in a moment. Nobody blames anyone, women support each other a lot, they don’t judge or criticize. Children are rather at ease here, which means they have a lot of freedom. A 3-year-old is playing alone in the street? Okay, usually his older brother or sister is around, and mom looks out the window every now and then. It is probably unthinkable in Poland. In Japan, children are taught to get out of the way when the car is driving. For the germination of bledias and theirs than theirs never and then things on the ground …
And what was for you for you in the Japanese mentality?
Their resistance to change and the nonsense of much of their work. It concerns, for example, filling out filled packages, reports in various spheres of life. This paperwork is really endless here. The Japanese are famous for their attention to detail and conscientiousness, but they sometimes exaggerate. Who would have written that he asked himself more than once: “What have I done? But no. Can not. This is where you take a shortcut if you go into the z-solution state. The fact is also that people here don’t complain loudly, so you know that they can’t be age, that nobody is, nobody, different, that makes no sense. It’s just like that and that’s it.
It’s hard to believe, after all, it’s a very technologically advanced country …
True, but in life after the Japanese are very reluctant now with new technologies. It’s different in Tokyo, of course, but not on purpose. It was only a few years ago that payment cards were compensated here. When I came here nine years ago, combined with shops, even in supermarkets, you could only go in cash. Working fax for empty parts of the center equipment (laughter). Still blind to foreigners, but slowly beginning to be supplanted by scanners. Banks still use stamps instead of signatures. Many people still did not have electronic banking, and took advantage of the launch of the My Number Card graphics card with a great desire to turn to the Japanese. Previously, they had a driving license or no document at all. I changed my iPhone from Korea to a Japanese flip phone. Now, of course, Japan is catching up, but it certainly does not live in the world of modern technologies …
Do you visit Poland often?
Once upon a time the first child was riding. Unfortunately, she quickly sobered us up. Airline tickets are expensive, you pay a price for each child. Now, with three girls, we could afford to buy for maybe once in 3-4 years. Fortunately, thanks to you, we haven’t thought about it yet.
Is there anything you can do? Outside of family and family, of course?
Behind the food. In Japan, I miss cheese, better taste and in general. Especially now, when there is no access to non-Japanese food stores in the countryside. I even took an online cheese making course. We’ll see if anything comes out of this …