00:00.60 archaeoteacup Welcome back everyone I hope the teacups are now Fuller the biscuit jar emptier although actually considering the time of year. Maybe you're you know, already moving on to your mulled wine and bis pies. Yeah oh man I miss I need to get some um right? and. 00:08.68 Tehya _TK_ Oh. 00:15.54 archaeoteacup So we did already introduce tk a little bit at the beginning of the section. We mentioned that she is a trained teacher. She's living in Japan but maybe we could go into a bit more detail because although you are a qualified teacher I believe at the moment you're not actually teaching history. 00:30.24 Tehya _TK_ Yes, yeah, So I'm not actually teaching history right Now. Ah my my teaching and career has been quite interesting. Um, so I was an international school teacher for a while but um, because of my husband's work. We've moved to a place that it does not have any international schools So I am now an online teacher of many a thing. Yeah. 00:49.19 archaeoteacup Um, oh interesting, cool. Oh I got sorry might Mike just web around anyway. Okay, interesting. And so because I know that quite a lot of people I mean I i. No quite that sounds so okay I know some historians but like I do I do know some historians I go obviously mainly work with archaeologists. Um, and so many people I imagine it's similar in history though. It's very difficult once you if you're interested in the topic of archeology or or something related once you graduate then find something. 01:13.86 Tehya _TK_ Um, yeah. 01:25.87 archaeoteacup To be able to for example, teach it and things that even then the kind of job opportunities are not always there So you find yourself having to do something else and then kind of do your hobby on the side. Um, in in that respect. So so which you have managed to do very successfully with the podcast I would argue. Um. 01:35.39 Tehya _TK_ Um, yeah I write thinking. Thank you. 01:43.10 archaeoteacup But how how do you find that balance or how do you kind of yeah how how did you get to that point. 01:50.89 Tehya _TK_ So I mean it took a while. So after forgive me for a small small story right now. Um I I was excellent. So I graduate. 01:59.40 archaeoteacup Go for I will say I can drink my tea. 02:07.69 Tehya _TK_ Did university with my degree in history and then my certification in teaching and for one year I was a history teacher I was a seventh grade which is middle school first year middle school world history teacher and I loved it and it was great and then they offered me the job and they were like. 02:17.40 archaeoteacup If. 02:26.67 Tehya _TK_ You can do it and I freaked out and I moved to Japan so right so relatable. Um, and and then you know I started teaching english um. 02:28.00 archaeoteacup The classic tale. 02:42.75 Tehya _TK_ At ah, a superscience high school which focused mostly on science and then um, another school focused mostly on like global studies. So that's what I did for 4 years and then I moved to an international school for 2 years 02:43.80 archaeoteacup Oh. 03:01.10 Tehya _TK_ And I was the special education coordinator. Um, kind of it was my my hey we're a very small school and we don't have the kind of funding to have an actual special education coordinator. Could you also do this in addition to being the fourth grade homeroom teacher and I was like sure. So like. 03:22.11 archaeoteacup Ah, yeah, that that's how I've got many jobs actually is by people going like I know you're already doing this and this and this but what you might also say this is ah. 03:26.90 Tehya _TK_ Um, right? So you know when I when it was covid time and I had been teaching I think for. Four and a half years I had been doing nothing with history for four and a half years um I was like hey I really like history and I'm really sad right now. So why not start a podcast and um, that's. 03:56.59 archaeoteacup And yeah. 03:58.70 Tehya _TK_ What I did um so I told that whole story to get to the point of you can start doing the thing that you want to do at any point in time. Even if you're doing something completely opposite to what it is you want to be doing. 04:17.37 archaeoteacup Ah. 04:17.93 Tehya _TK_ If that makes sense and the only way that I know with my adh g brain on how to balance all that is planning the ever loving. But Jesus out of my day. 04:33.15 archaeoteacup Um, yep I'm sitting here next to my little platter which is now full of things because two days ago someone said I'm so sorry I forgot about our meeting today and I looked when it's not into my diary therefore it doesn't exist. 04:40.90 Tehya _TK_ Um. 04:45.72 Tehya _TK_ Um, it's It's funny exactly exactly it so plan but plan plan plan if it is a ah a paper diary that works for you if it is ah a. 04:52.17 archaeoteacup Yeah, for. 05:00.51 Tehya _TK_ Google Calendar that works for you if it is a combination of both which is what I use it's It's amazing. So planning planning planning planning and then get a lot of caffeine in your system because I. 05:04.35 archaeoteacup Um, okay, yeah, nice good. 05:15.59 archaeoteacup Ah, or Barley tea either either either. But no I I feel that very so I also taught English for a while? Um, ah after finishing my. 05:20.39 Tehya _TK_ Ah, and or Barley tea. Both are great. 05:29.47 Tehya _TK_ Um, oh yeah. 05:30.34 archaeoteacup Studies Um I did ended up doing buses in archaeology and then yeah I couldn't basically couldn't find a job and was trying things and I had been qualified to teach English for a while because I had done that before so I thought I'll do that and I I I Really love teaching I Be That's also why I do this podcast and that's why I do very social media things I can imagine do the same and. 05:35.61 Tehya _TK_ Um, yeah, right. 05:47.79 Tehya _TK_ Um, yeah, yeah, yeah. 05:50.30 archaeoteacup Um, but yeah I I had the same thing that it was like but I yeah I love teaching. But it's passion. My passion is not the English language necessarily or you know it's not the thing but I what I want what I would love to do is you know do this kind of teaching so that's how it kind of started and I imagine a lot of people are in are in that situation. So I think. 05:59.12 Tehya _TK_ Exactly yeah. 06:06.70 Tehya _TK_ Um, yeah, um. 06:10.30 archaeoteacup Indeed yeah, this is a nice. It's I think it's a good way and I think that yeah tk demonstrates very nicely how you can and do your episodes of release quite regularly as well, right? let two weeks I believe every week 06:20.95 Tehya _TK_ Ah, yeah, so I do I go by season so every week for about 10 between 10 and twelve weeks just depending on how many like guests and episodes I have ah so yeah, it's like full force for 10 to twelve weeks and then I take a nice like. Um, break and then they go back at it. 06:38.86 archaeoteacup Yeah, which is yeah probably a better way to do it than I'm doing it with the which is just constant every month but maybe I should do that I wondering whether to do that Anyway, we'll kind but later Ah, but but no I think it's really yeah, it's It's really great to great example ah to give out I mean history in general. 06:50.10 Tehya _TK_ Um, yeah. 06:54.49 archaeoteacup I Guess it's I mean what? what would you say is the kind of main important reason for you or your your main kind of what's the word driving driving impetus or whatever to to teach the history. 07:06.13 Tehya _TK_ Yeah, well I mean like I said ah when I started my podcast. It was out of loneliness I was it was the beginning of Covid I was in another country I was away from my family I wasn't even able to teach at the time really? um. 07:14.61 archaeoteacup Um. 07:24.13 Tehya _TK_ Because we were still trying to figure out all of the Covid nes. Um, and I I just started looking up things about other plagues and the Spanish flu and things like that and it made me feel a little bit better. Um, but. 07:37.92 archaeoteacup Um, and look on the people other people have this too. 07:42.77 Tehya _TK_ Right? So that's what I think it's really important about history is that being a human can be super super lonely and when we learn about all of the people that have come before us and have felt the same way. Even even if one hundred or a thousand years separate us and that. 07:51.90 archaeoteacup Um, to. 08:02.12 Tehya _TK_ That other human. It's so nice to think that they thought and felt and had very similar things happened to them and I think it makes life a little less lonely to know that fact so I think that's one of the reasons why teaching history and learning history is so important and. Another reason. Um that I'm so passionate about history education is that I think knowing things brings understanding and empathy so understanding another country another you know. 08:28.85 archaeoteacup And. 08:38.16 Tehya _TK_ Part of the world's history allows for more empathy like excuse me. Um, sorry yeah, yeah, just dying is dying a little bit. Um, ah so. 08:45.77 archaeoteacup Ah sorry I thought you were preparing for your lecture. Ah. 08:55.38 Tehya _TK_ I ah my my husband is japanese and I'm american and and you know if if if you know anything about history even 10 gentlely the history between America and Japan is like not super cool. Um, so it's to to put it extremely lightly. Um. 09:03.16 archaeoteacup Um, right have to say has a very good good way of putting it. 09:16.64 Tehya _TK_ Yeah, so um, my my husband and I often go to world war 2 places like museums and and um museums right. 09:25.45 archaeoteacup Yeah, but you are your father's daughter though at the end of the day you it all paid off. 09:33.21 Tehya _TK_ Exactly so we've we've gone together to the hiroshima. Um peace memorial museum and we've gone to the Pearl Harbor um museum and memorial in Hawaii and then just ah. 09:37.56 archaeoteacup Are. 09:48.34 Tehya _TK_ Three weeks ago we went to the base where the kamikae pilots yeah were um, were based and where they flew out of and my husband and I weeped like wept. 09:51.60 archaeoteacup Right is. The. E f. 10:05.57 Tehya _TK_ Ah, reading the letters that these pilots wrote and and for the longest time I was like why in the heck would anyone be a kamikae pilot but now from going to this place I understand I understand the history. So that's why I think. 10:14.20 archaeoteacup Um, yeah. 10:19.63 archaeoteacup Um. 10:24.45 Tehya _TK_ History Education is so important because it it it it breeds empathy I think. 10:29.23 archaeoteacup Yeah don't definitely oh I couldn't agree more and I can imagine something I mean though I guess archaeology is generally more involved with with longer periods in the past and so a lot of people can argue. Oh yeah, but it happened thousands of years ah you know it's irrelevant. But I guess something with history is. You know it definitely is like it. It happened recently enough to still be relevant to really relevant to modern society in terms of like even living memory or yeah, something like that. So. Ah yeah I could not agree but remember but um. 10:55.18 Tehya _TK_ Um, yeah. 11:00.62 archaeoteacup And in terms of teaching What would be your your favorite topic to teach about. 11:09.60 Tehya _TK_ Ah, do you know the question where people are like if you had to give a ted talk right now. What topic could you do my Ted talk is women's samurai. Ah, who I know I know because. 11:20.98 archaeoteacup Um. 11:24.38 Tehya _TK_ You know Samurai are like it's like the manliest manly man activity that one could possibly do but name name my friend there were many a lady samurai. Yes. 11:24.50 archaeoteacup Yeah, or yeah, okay I I just. Like and and sort of accept like not sort of rebellious lady samurais on the side but like respected as part of the samurai class. It. 11:48.17 Tehya _TK_ oh yes, oh yes, yes yes and if I may be a little bit spicy. Ah some people very much. Do not agree. Ah but it is arguable that the first samurai was a woman. 12:01.00 archaeoteacup See the more the more I hear about Japan women had pockets. The first leader was an empress. The first samurai was also a woman I mean they're pretty progressive I would say as a country. 12:09.47 Tehya _TK_ Um. 12:14.58 Tehya _TK_ Um, right right? um. 12:18.20 archaeoteacup Do you do you happen to have a podcast episode out already about female samurai. How many hundreds? Yes, okay, 3 perfect. 12:21.29 Tehya _TK_ Ah, my friend I have 3 I have three I have I have 1 about like the general samurai women I have one about Tomoy goes in and then I have one about this woman named Empress jingo. 12:40.23 archaeoteacup I think I feel like I've heard that name before but I maybe I'm imagining things I think I might be getting confused who was the the female pirate Again, What was her name. Okay, no, that was someone else that Okay, but anyway, but but no fascinating. 12:40.29 Tehya _TK_ Who may or may not be the first samurai but you didn't hear that from me. 12:49.42 Tehya _TK_ Um, yes, that ah that was cheng y So that's okay. 12:59.99 archaeoteacup I mean that is a very interesting topic I think yeah, that's ah which out of curiosity in terms of kind of modern japanese history and how it's looked at is is the study of history in Japan kind of open minded enough I guess to to consider these aspects or is it something that it's still quite. 13:04.69 Tehya _TK_ But. 13:19.84 archaeoteacup Closed. Okay. 13:21.84 Tehya _TK_ It's it's quite closed. Still um and ah, not a lot of emphasis is put on women's history. Unfortunately, um, but there's definitely like. 13:28.68 archaeoteacup Okay, who. 13:37.70 Tehya _TK_ Ah, very small group of archaeologists and historians that are working towards changing that narrative. Um I forget I forget the man's name but he works for the University Of Tokyo a wasceda I think. I think he works for them and he um is now working on a project to it might be over now. Um, he either is working on a project or was working on a project to relook at some. Bones from a ah warring states period burial mound where a bunch of like samurai bodies were buried to see if they were women and indeed one third of them were women. 14:21.40 archaeoteacup Ah, ah I think I mean it makes that's like the all of the you know viking. Ah. 14:31.96 Tehya _TK_ Yes. 14:35.25 archaeoteacup Studies that have been done and turns out the load of the graves that were always considered male viking warriors were actually women viking warriors since Ted and things so make sense that the same thing would also be happening in other cultures like they you know, but considered this more things you do? That's true. 14:38.92 Tehya _TK_ Um, yeah. 14:43.11 Tehya _TK_ Um, yes, yeah, um, yeah, and I I got an episode about that too. 14:53.49 archaeoteacup Listen to it. We'll be putting links to all of these episodes by the way in in the show notes. Although also I would just highly recommend going through and listening to them all because there's some really very interesting I mean you think this is a specialized ah and episode wait wait until you go and find some of the topics. The Tk dogs about which I had never heard of before. And then now I know it's great though. It's perfect for you know, breaking the ice at those sort of parties is like did you know by the way there were females ever right? Wait What exactly? yeah. 15:14.63 Tehya _TK_ Um, so weird I It's so wild. But. 15:21.63 Tehya _TK_ Um, it's yeah, but if you have social anxiety sit next to me at a party because I'll tell you some stuff. 15:30.82 archaeoteacup You just need little well that marks the end of our Tbreak today sounds like ah it's been a long a long week or 2 for you. So I think you probably need to have a bit of a sitdown rest drink some poley tea swing some swords around. 15:43.94 Tehya _TK_ Um, thank you? yeah. 15:47.00 archaeoteacup Um, but thank you So so much for joining me today. Tk I Really really appreciate it. It was great to hear hear from you. 15:53.79 Tehya _TK_ Thank you so much for having me. It was an absolute blast and happy to talk about this very niche weird topic. Yeah. 16:02.27 archaeoteacup Right? I was so glad I found someone to talk about it with me. Um, so if anyone wants to find out more about tk's podcast her other work. Ah that that's gay I'm going to say it right? At some point the history of Japan anything that we've been talking about I will try to put all of the links into the show notes on the podcast hopepage. 16:15.60 Tehya _TK_ Um. 16:20.31 archaeoteacup I Hope that you enjoyed our journey today if you would like to help support this show and all of the other amazing series that formed the Archeology Podcast Network You could become a member. You'll be helping us to create even more amazing Content. We. Also you will also have access to ad free episodes. And bonus content like our quarterly online seminars which look at different topics within archaeology and you also get early access to episodes. So then you can already start talking about female samurai before other people have even heard about it which you know that sounds pretty cool to me for more information. Check out the homepage. Archaeologypodcastnetwork.com. 16:47.23 Tehya _TK_ Um, who who. 16:52.44 archaeoteacup And I'll see you next month for another journey bye.