I miss sandwiches. There are some delicious looking sandwiches on the internet, and I can't make them because there are two varieties of bread (that I've seen within easy/reasonable reach): white and sugary, or choco-bread, which is sugary without being very chocolaty.
And cereal. Well, I have cornflakes, and a granola cereal that's pretty good. But I haven't found American cereal. We're talking sugary, artificially fruity, colorful, marshmallow-y American cereal.
The reality of living in an old house in a humid climate has hit home: I found mold on my backpack. The last time I used it was for a trip to the beach - so I can understand that it may have been damp when I forgot about it two weeks ago. It was in the bathroom, too. Unpleasant.
My visit to Kawahara went much better today! I was prepared this time, and even managed to have a few conversations with non-English speaking teachers (broken and charade-filled, but conversations nonetheless)! The 6th grade class went really well, but I think I may have made the 5th grade class too hard. But at least it feels like I'm starting to warm up to the school and the students and vice versa.
I'm having to re-evaluate my role at the middle school, though. I have to be very proactive about coming up with ideas and suggesting them to the teachers if I don't want to feel useless in class. Yanase sensei, in particular, doesn't use me for pronunciation practice as much as she should. She also tries to adopt the quirky things I do - things like doing silly voices - which doesn't work as well. Once again, it seems like she's insecure about her way of teaching. So she tends to worry more about how she appears in the class and not enough about the actual effectiveness of the lesson. Or so it seems to me. She reads things too quickly for the kids to understand, and often with words that are too advanced, almost as though she were showing off her own English skills. I'm clearly frustrated, and putting my own spin on this. This is just the kind of thing I pay attention to - the differences between good and bad teachers. Now I just need to take my own criticisms to heart.
Trash day tomorrow. Actually, I determine my own trash day. I throw mine out in the public office bin, and I can do this any day, as far as I can tell. This is Fantastic, considering the Crazy Sorting and Trash Schedule most JETs are submitted to.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Nutritional (and Economical) Value of Eggplant
Before this weekend, I had never bought an eggplant. To my knowledge, there has never been an eggplant in my house. I have never cooked an eggplant (though I have been present when one was cooked).
This weekend, all of that changed. For the better, I think. I purchased Japanese eggplants, after reading an inspiring recipe/article on Japanese eggplants. Unlike the usual eggplants used in America, these eggplants are narrow, long, even windy a bit. More like long, light, spongy, purple zucchinis. Much better when cooking for 1 person, if you ask me.
AND CHEAP! 4 of the suckers for 98 yen (about 98 cents)!!! Ok. Considering one of those eggplants satisfactorily replaces a $3 package of meat or even a $1-2 pack of tofu, I think I just found a new main ingredient.
I've never really had a reason to like eggplants before. They're sorta slimy, not particularly yummy, and I've always had my suspicions about eggplant parmesian. Generally unappealing. But I like these. Maybe that's my wallet talking. But no, really. I cooked some in a curry and the eggplants were my favorite ingredient. These have a flavor that I like. Maybe they're just fresh. Maybe soaking them in salt water to remove the bitterness is a real thing, and it worked really well. Maybe I've been brainwashed by some eggplant advocates. I dunno.
So - I am all eyes and ears for any eggplant cooking ideas. And ideas for cooking beans. I should probably stock up on some more spices, if I really want some more flavor varieties.
This weekend, all of that changed. For the better, I think. I purchased Japanese eggplants, after reading an inspiring recipe/article on Japanese eggplants. Unlike the usual eggplants used in America, these eggplants are narrow, long, even windy a bit. More like long, light, spongy, purple zucchinis. Much better when cooking for 1 person, if you ask me.
AND CHEAP! 4 of the suckers for 98 yen (about 98 cents)!!! Ok. Considering one of those eggplants satisfactorily replaces a $3 package of meat or even a $1-2 pack of tofu, I think I just found a new main ingredient.
I've never really had a reason to like eggplants before. They're sorta slimy, not particularly yummy, and I've always had my suspicions about eggplant parmesian. Generally unappealing. But I like these. Maybe that's my wallet talking. But no, really. I cooked some in a curry and the eggplants were my favorite ingredient. These have a flavor that I like. Maybe they're just fresh. Maybe soaking them in salt water to remove the bitterness is a real thing, and it worked really well. Maybe I've been brainwashed by some eggplant advocates. I dunno.
So - I am all eyes and ears for any eggplant cooking ideas. And ideas for cooking beans. I should probably stock up on some more spices, if I really want some more flavor varieties.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
First Panic Day
There's definitely a reason why I don't let myself panic. It doesn't feel good, physically or mentally. Anyway, today was my first panic/get-really-nervous day. Perhaps I should explain.
Kawahara Elementary School has about 10-15 students in each grade, 1st through 6th. Last week was my self-introduction lesson. It was a lot harder to get these 5th and 6th graders to warm up to me than it was at the larger Yamanishi Elementary (each grade has two classes of 30 students). The teachers at Kawahara were also quicker to stand back and put me in charge of the class. This is a nerve-wracking thing to do! The kids don't know me! They don't respond as easily to me, because, well, I'm foreign, and it's natural for them to feel more comfortable responding to their home room teachers (who barely understand me better than the kids do).
Anyway, I left Kawahara having been told what the next target phrase was for each grade, and realizing that I would be coming up with a lesson plan and teaching almost entirely on my own. Scary. So I spent time planning. I found flashcards and game materials for the fifth grade, came up with review activities, and even downloaded a song and lyrics for the 6th grade class. I sent the lesson plans to Tomoko, my supervisor, who then translated them and sent them to the teachers. Then I forgot about them.
Turns out I also forgot to find flashcards for the 6th graders. And that the song I chose was too hard for them, according to the homeroom teacher. The 6th grade homeroom teacher, by the way, is fairly stern and silent, and terrible at charades, as I found out today after much arm-waving (in a room with no AC). You can't not know English and be bad at charades. That's just not fair. So that was brutal (no AC) and mildly embarrassing (what did he think I was doing?). Anyway, I basically panicked. I had no materials, I was already nervous about teaching these kids, I had a teacher who I knew was going to involve himself as little as possible, and it was really hot. Stern and Silent was nice enough to go to his computer and print me some flashcards, though. Four of them. Not enough, but definitely a nice gesture. Thankfully, I had recess to print a few more and think of some new games. I was still nervous, though, and I could feel it.
The lesson turned out fine. I could sense a few boredom moments among the kids while I drilled the words a few extra times, but overall the lesson went well, and they enjoyed the very last part. The phrase of the day was "What are you doing?" After some charades games, I showed them a folded picture of a dog. To demonstrate another use of the phrase, I unfolded the picture to reveal that the dog was peeing on the floor. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?" Even the teacher got a kick out of that one. Stern and Silent with an Occasional Smile.
Ugh. I can't believe I panicked. Well, I can. I mean, I was caught unprepared. In an environment I still felt very new in. On a very busy day (I had 4 classes at the middle school before my 2 afternoon classes at Kawahara). But what I hate is how visceral this feeling of nervousness can be. I got home and I was still jittery. So I sat in front of my computer, watched a funny show, and ate Nutella from the jar. Not my usual weekday afternoon, let me tell you.
I figured out today that my favorite group to teach is definitely middle school. I think that's the age at which I stopped maturing, because I totally get these kids. Younger kids are fun, but they can be a little much. Adults are a little low in energy. High school kids would probably kick my butt, but I don't really know. What I do know is I love hanging out with my middle schoolers. Whether they're loud or quiet, snots or angels, musicians or athletes, I feel like we understand each other on some level. And that is a very satisfying feeling.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sports Day and Kendo Moms
So Saturday was Sports Day for the elementary schools here in Nishihara. My lessons at the elementary schools were put on hold these last two weeks so that the kids could train for this Day of Athletic Prowess. Allow me to describe the schools and their respective celebrations.
Let me first say, there is a National Sports and Health Day, which is a holiday with time off work. That day will be October 11. This was an event that each elementary school held that was a combination of what I would call "Field Day" and Japanese TV. The students in grades 1-6 competed in two teams, red and white, in various races. Some were obstacle courses, some were 50 m dashes, and some were relays. I was invited to both elementary schools' Sports Days, so I, along with my supervisor Tomoko, spent the morning at the smaller school and the afternoon at the bigger school.
The event opened with a marching procession of the students. Next followed a series of speeches, lots of bowing, and warm-up exercises for everyone, including the guests. Then began the races. Every 5 events or so, the guests were invited to participate in a relay or activity of some sort. I joined everything I could, since someone was always saying, Rebeca sensei Rebeca sensei, anytime they asked for volunteers. Sure, why not. There was a push-a-metal-wheel-with-a-stick relay, a mini-golf type game with bigger balls and mallets, and a running relay where a pair of rubber boots were the baton. There was a teacher's relay race where we pushed 5 foot tall inflated balls around a track. There were other silly games which the kids did - components of obstacle courses included crawling under a net, wheelbarrow racing, piggy back rides (many parents took part in this, some of them riding on their kids' backs!), and an interesting thing called "The Caterpillar" in which the kids get into a huge floppy circle of cardboard and push it along. They ran segments of the track while inside a hula hoop with an older guest from the crowd, they led their parents blindfolded to dip their faces into trays of white powder, they ran three legged races and rode small tricycles and did synchronized dancing and cheering.
But the craziest thing by far that these kids did was their final Series of Acrobatic Stunts, or SAS (this is not what they called it, btw). First, they did simpler things, like side plank. Yea, I know - it's not that simple. Then they went on to do the following (pictures courtesy of the internet, they're not actually mine to publish):
And other various combinations of these and other things. It was crazy!
Now on to the Kendo Moms. They are so sweet! I've been going to the kids' kendo practice, since it takes place across the parking lot from me and I can hear them screaming anyway. What's nice is that the moms and a couple of their smaller kids also watch the practice. They practice their English with me and teach me some Japanese. I do some easy origami with the kids sometimes. The weekend before last I was invited to watch their tournament. I understood them when they said they would meet at 6:30, but somehow I missed the morning part. Sooo, at 6:30 Sunday morning, I heard the doorbell and lots of kids laughter, answered the door with bed-hair and pajamas on, apologized profusely in Japanglish, and changed to go. After the rough start, though, the rest of the day was quite fun :D
So now the Kendo Moms know me pretty well. This apparently means they must feed me. Yesterday, I was late to go watch practice, and two of the moms showed up to see if I was okay, bearing yogurt, fruit snacks and apple juice as gifts. Today there was no practice, but one of the moms showed up anyway with a plate of food! She just delivered the food, then drove off in a creepy white van... After I ate the food, I found out it was a Cookie Monster plate. Cute!
On one final note: the kids here do a ridiculous amount of exercise. The 5th and 6th graders at the elementary school have P.E. class after school from 4-6. Then, some of them go on to practice volleyball in the gym. Almost every kid in middle school practices tennis, baseball/softball, track, or volleyball every day after school. It seems like the trend only continues into high school. Exercise, and tons of it, is almost universal among the young. Then it basically stops once they get a job. Except for the morning exercise routine, which a lot of people do, but it's a sharp drop from the athletic training of their youth.
Let me first say, there is a National Sports and Health Day, which is a holiday with time off work. That day will be October 11. This was an event that each elementary school held that was a combination of what I would call "Field Day" and Japanese TV. The students in grades 1-6 competed in two teams, red and white, in various races. Some were obstacle courses, some were 50 m dashes, and some were relays. I was invited to both elementary schools' Sports Days, so I, along with my supervisor Tomoko, spent the morning at the smaller school and the afternoon at the bigger school.
The event opened with a marching procession of the students. Next followed a series of speeches, lots of bowing, and warm-up exercises for everyone, including the guests. Then began the races. Every 5 events or so, the guests were invited to participate in a relay or activity of some sort. I joined everything I could, since someone was always saying, Rebeca sensei Rebeca sensei, anytime they asked for volunteers. Sure, why not. There was a push-a-metal-wheel-with-a-stick relay, a mini-golf type game with bigger balls and mallets, and a running relay where a pair of rubber boots were the baton. There was a teacher's relay race where we pushed 5 foot tall inflated balls around a track. There were other silly games which the kids did - components of obstacle courses included crawling under a net, wheelbarrow racing, piggy back rides (many parents took part in this, some of them riding on their kids' backs!), and an interesting thing called "The Caterpillar" in which the kids get into a huge floppy circle of cardboard and push it along. They ran segments of the track while inside a hula hoop with an older guest from the crowd, they led their parents blindfolded to dip their faces into trays of white powder, they ran three legged races and rode small tricycles and did synchronized dancing and cheering.
But the craziest thing by far that these kids did was their final Series of Acrobatic Stunts, or SAS (this is not what they called it, btw). First, they did simpler things, like side plank. Yea, I know - it's not that simple. Then they went on to do the following (pictures courtesy of the internet, they're not actually mine to publish):
 |
| Bridge. Every single 5th and 6th grader did this. |
 |
| Shoulder Sits |
 |
| Four-Layered human pyramid. Remember, these are 10 and 11 year olds. |
 |
| Standing human pyramid. The kids on the bottom two layers were standing, not bending over. Hence: Japanese Kids > Iraqi Police Officers. (No political commentary implied) |
And other various combinations of these and other things. It was crazy!
Now on to the Kendo Moms. They are so sweet! I've been going to the kids' kendo practice, since it takes place across the parking lot from me and I can hear them screaming anyway. What's nice is that the moms and a couple of their smaller kids also watch the practice. They practice their English with me and teach me some Japanese. I do some easy origami with the kids sometimes. The weekend before last I was invited to watch their tournament. I understood them when they said they would meet at 6:30, but somehow I missed the morning part. Sooo, at 6:30 Sunday morning, I heard the doorbell and lots of kids laughter, answered the door with bed-hair and pajamas on, apologized profusely in Japanglish, and changed to go. After the rough start, though, the rest of the day was quite fun :D
So now the Kendo Moms know me pretty well. This apparently means they must feed me. Yesterday, I was late to go watch practice, and two of the moms showed up to see if I was okay, bearing yogurt, fruit snacks and apple juice as gifts. Today there was no practice, but one of the moms showed up anyway with a plate of food! She just delivered the food, then drove off in a creepy white van... After I ate the food, I found out it was a Cookie Monster plate. Cute!
On one final note: the kids here do a ridiculous amount of exercise. The 5th and 6th graders at the elementary school have P.E. class after school from 4-6. Then, some of them go on to practice volleyball in the gym. Almost every kid in middle school practices tennis, baseball/softball, track, or volleyball every day after school. It seems like the trend only continues into high school. Exercise, and tons of it, is almost universal among the young. Then it basically stops once they get a job. Except for the morning exercise routine, which a lot of people do, but it's a sharp drop from the athletic training of their youth.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Make that a Great Day
I have internet in my house!!! The wireless isn't set up yet, but nonetheless, it's internet, and it's even fairly fast. Let the Skyping and the Daily Show-watching begin!
A Good Day
Funny how days that start off ordinary, or even bad, can wind up being good days. After 4th period, I thought I was going to die of repetition. I've read the same letter and the same English phrases in class about 800 times. I was still exhausted after lunch (where I accidentally squirted a small quantity of milk 3 feet in the air, which nearly landed on the student next to me).
Then I went to math class! Yay algebra! The math teacher, Tsuminaga sensei, is very nice (he greeted me in English at the start of class, then asked my permission to continue the rest of the class in Japanese. Dozo.). He's also willing to practice his English with me, which is a plus. And he's generally math-teacher-esque: soft-spoken, slight build, with a vague air of nerdiness (I've definitely seen some red pen blotches on his shirt pocket). He's very Japanese in his excessive politeness (he apologizes for walking past my desk in the office. It's on the way to the printer! There's no need!). The students got a kick out of his grading my algebra worksheet (he asked for permission to do this). Some things never change: good speed, dumb mistakes.
So Tsuminaga sensei is now one of my best friends in the office! I get along well with the English teachers, too, which is good. Nakamura sensei is always busy, so I have to carefully time anything I have to say to her. But we laugh a lot together in class, or in the 2 minute conversations we've had. She's a great teacher, and a sweet person. Yanase sensei was pulled out of retirement after the previous English teacher gave birth, which happens sometimes. So she's a little older, and while she's energetic and bouncy in her efforts to speak and teach English, she's very insecure about teaching. Besides me, she's the newest member of the teaching staff, has fewer responsibilities than the other teachers, and she's usually the one who is able and available to explain things to me, which she herself doesn't always understand. Thursdays, for example, run on a different schedule. That was not explained to me until my 3rd Thursday... She often asks my advice for teaching or doing things, and I just don't feel like it's my place to make certain decisions. Weren't you teaching English for your whole career before you got here? Ah well. There are all kinds of people in the world, and Yanase sensei compares herself to others a bit too much, I think.
The next youngest person in the office is Shibue sensei. He's the 24-year-old, baby-faced, aloof computer teacher (I'm not sure in what sense). He doesn't speak a word of English. I don't think. Honestly, I don't know, because he's aloof. So before today, we never talked to each other since there wasn't really a reason to. But today he had a giant map on the floor in the middle of the hallway, so I made the effort to ask in Japanese what it was. I didn't undertand anything he said other than 'Nishihara map'. Then half an hour later, when I had nothing to do, I asked if I could help him with preparing student folders. I literally learned how to say 'May I help you?' in Japanese 5 minutes earlier. I carefully wielded my new-found phrase, to the delight and applause of the teachers who had helped me learn it, the confusion (at the applause) and surprise (at the Japanese) of Shibue sensei, and the enjoyment of the rest of the office. Then I put stickers in folders. It was a good day. Maybe now I'll go for a run, since the weather's nice.
Then I went to math class! Yay algebra! The math teacher, Tsuminaga sensei, is very nice (he greeted me in English at the start of class, then asked my permission to continue the rest of the class in Japanese. Dozo.). He's also willing to practice his English with me, which is a plus. And he's generally math-teacher-esque: soft-spoken, slight build, with a vague air of nerdiness (I've definitely seen some red pen blotches on his shirt pocket). He's very Japanese in his excessive politeness (he apologizes for walking past my desk in the office. It's on the way to the printer! There's no need!). The students got a kick out of his grading my algebra worksheet (he asked for permission to do this). Some things never change: good speed, dumb mistakes.
So Tsuminaga sensei is now one of my best friends in the office! I get along well with the English teachers, too, which is good. Nakamura sensei is always busy, so I have to carefully time anything I have to say to her. But we laugh a lot together in class, or in the 2 minute conversations we've had. She's a great teacher, and a sweet person. Yanase sensei was pulled out of retirement after the previous English teacher gave birth, which happens sometimes. So she's a little older, and while she's energetic and bouncy in her efforts to speak and teach English, she's very insecure about teaching. Besides me, she's the newest member of the teaching staff, has fewer responsibilities than the other teachers, and she's usually the one who is able and available to explain things to me, which she herself doesn't always understand. Thursdays, for example, run on a different schedule. That was not explained to me until my 3rd Thursday... She often asks my advice for teaching or doing things, and I just don't feel like it's my place to make certain decisions. Weren't you teaching English for your whole career before you got here? Ah well. There are all kinds of people in the world, and Yanase sensei compares herself to others a bit too much, I think.
The next youngest person in the office is Shibue sensei. He's the 24-year-old, baby-faced, aloof computer teacher (I'm not sure in what sense). He doesn't speak a word of English. I don't think. Honestly, I don't know, because he's aloof. So before today, we never talked to each other since there wasn't really a reason to. But today he had a giant map on the floor in the middle of the hallway, so I made the effort to ask in Japanese what it was. I didn't undertand anything he said other than 'Nishihara map'. Then half an hour later, when I had nothing to do, I asked if I could help him with preparing student folders. I literally learned how to say 'May I help you?' in Japanese 5 minutes earlier. I carefully wielded my new-found phrase, to the delight and applause of the teachers who had helped me learn it, the confusion (at the applause) and surprise (at the Japanese) of Shibue sensei, and the enjoyment of the rest of the office. Then I put stickers in folders. It was a good day. Maybe now I'll go for a run, since the weather's nice.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Some Unfortunate Developments (and one really good one)
Moths I can handle. Ants I can handle. Even cockroaches and spiders I can handle, within reason. But when said cockroaches decide to fly in my face or try to crawl on my leg, then we have a problem. Whether its miscommunication, outright defiance, I dunno. But let us just say that had he/she/it not flown in my face, I would have released it into the wild rather than sprayed it to death.
Speaking of spiders. They're everywhere! Most of them are small. There's one annoying one that keeps building his web on my clothes line. They're finding ways into my house, too. And not just the little ones. I made the rather unfortunate discovery that a Large Spider of Some Kind is living in my house. And I mean large. Turns out I didn't have to take Jonathan's suggestion of getting a pet tarantula. This one, while not as big, is still nearly a hand's-width across. I discovered him on the wall next to my bed. Not cool, Spider, not cool. He disappeared shortly after, and I haven't seen him since. And to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't mind so much if he would, I dunno, eat the aforementioned roaches. I almost feel like I should start offering sacrifices to this thing.
But on to nicer things! I just got the sweetest letter from a very quiet, very small 3rd grade girl. It was accompanied by an origami pegasus, which is beautiful. In her letter, which was surprisingly long, she said expressed her nervousness about using English, explained the origami pegasus and asked to see my origami which she had heard was very good, and that she enjoyed the silly things I did in English class (the other day I made them stand on one leg while they read the flashcards). But the best part, I think, was that she had seen my notebook of kanji and Japanese practice. She said she wanted to work really hard to learn English because I was working so hard to learn Japanese. BEST reward for studying a language. Ever. She really made my day.
Speaking of spiders. They're everywhere! Most of them are small. There's one annoying one that keeps building his web on my clothes line. They're finding ways into my house, too. And not just the little ones. I made the rather unfortunate discovery that a Large Spider of Some Kind is living in my house. And I mean large. Turns out I didn't have to take Jonathan's suggestion of getting a pet tarantula. This one, while not as big, is still nearly a hand's-width across. I discovered him on the wall next to my bed. Not cool, Spider, not cool. He disappeared shortly after, and I haven't seen him since. And to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't mind so much if he would, I dunno, eat the aforementioned roaches. I almost feel like I should start offering sacrifices to this thing.
But on to nicer things! I just got the sweetest letter from a very quiet, very small 3rd grade girl. It was accompanied by an origami pegasus, which is beautiful. In her letter, which was surprisingly long, she said expressed her nervousness about using English, explained the origami pegasus and asked to see my origami which she had heard was very good, and that she enjoyed the silly things I did in English class (the other day I made them stand on one leg while they read the flashcards). But the best part, I think, was that she had seen my notebook of kanji and Japanese practice. She said she wanted to work really hard to learn English because I was working so hard to learn Japanese. BEST reward for studying a language. Ever. She really made my day.
It's Like Being in Middle School...Again
Maybe that's because I actually am in a middle school. But it's more than that. I really do feel like the new kid in school, which I am, except that I'm not a kid, I'm a teacher. In the classroom, I'm safe, because I can make silly voices, or dance or sing or whatever, and it's ok because I'm the dancing English monkey - nobody knows what to expect from me, and I'm just there to entertain. But outside of class, sometimes I feel just as lost and confused (and embarrassed) as any student.
During lunch, for instance, I can choose to sit with the teachers or look for a gap at a student table. You know that feeling when you don't know anyone in the lunchroom... yea, it feels like that most of the time. So I sit down at random, and try to remember the names of the kids I'm sitting with. Half the time I lost the straw in my milk, and then I get embarrassed. Or I make a mess, and apparently Japan doens't believe in napkins... there are just washclothes all over the place, but they're mostly for cleaning the tables and floors.
During recess, I've joined in a couple of sports games. Turns out the sports I like and play (basketball and soccer) are two of the sports that women here never play. Quoth one 6 yr old boy when I said I liked soccer - But only boys play soccer!! Explains why when I play with the boys, they have No Idea what to do with me. When I get the ball, I have about a 3 foot clearance on all sides. Then I don't know who to pass to, since I don't know them well enough to remember teams, yet. So another awkward pause while I'm yelling 'Who's on my team' and no one understands what I'm saying. It's actually rather hilarious, so I usually just laugh and shoot the ball - the safest course of action under the circumstances. But! I think they're starting to see that I can actually play - now that I've intercepted a couple of passes. We'll see what happens next time.
And I had forgotten how easy middle school math was. And beautiful. I learned the words for 'beautiful' and 'interesting' yesterday, and applied them to Math, only to get a few stares from students and even some teachers. I'm pretty set on the idea of attending the occasional math class and helping students with it before/after school. At least it's something I understand without having to know Japanese.
I've also been exchanging letters with a couple of students (a bonus point activity, if they choose, but one girl insists she doesn't want the points) and exchanged some origami with a student. He gave Nakamura sensei a bag of origami to show me, then I tinkered with and made the objects with a couple others and gave it back. Then he sent me a more complicated crane model, then I folded him an even crazier crane model. It was a fun back and forth that involved no English whatsoever. Between that and watching kendo and playing soccer and basketball, I'm starting to get to know the students, and it's really great. While the boys are generally curious, the girls are really shy, so it's going to take some more time and coaxing to get them to talk. Or I can just talk to them about the boy band groups of whom they all seem to have pictures. Looks like my homework now is to listen to music and learn the name of the Justin Timberlake of Japan. I have interesting homework assignments.
During lunch, for instance, I can choose to sit with the teachers or look for a gap at a student table. You know that feeling when you don't know anyone in the lunchroom... yea, it feels like that most of the time. So I sit down at random, and try to remember the names of the kids I'm sitting with. Half the time I lost the straw in my milk, and then I get embarrassed. Or I make a mess, and apparently Japan doens't believe in napkins... there are just washclothes all over the place, but they're mostly for cleaning the tables and floors.
During recess, I've joined in a couple of sports games. Turns out the sports I like and play (basketball and soccer) are two of the sports that women here never play. Quoth one 6 yr old boy when I said I liked soccer - But only boys play soccer!! Explains why when I play with the boys, they have No Idea what to do with me. When I get the ball, I have about a 3 foot clearance on all sides. Then I don't know who to pass to, since I don't know them well enough to remember teams, yet. So another awkward pause while I'm yelling 'Who's on my team' and no one understands what I'm saying. It's actually rather hilarious, so I usually just laugh and shoot the ball - the safest course of action under the circumstances. But! I think they're starting to see that I can actually play - now that I've intercepted a couple of passes. We'll see what happens next time.
And I had forgotten how easy middle school math was. And beautiful. I learned the words for 'beautiful' and 'interesting' yesterday, and applied them to Math, only to get a few stares from students and even some teachers. I'm pretty set on the idea of attending the occasional math class and helping students with it before/after school. At least it's something I understand without having to know Japanese.
I've also been exchanging letters with a couple of students (a bonus point activity, if they choose, but one girl insists she doesn't want the points) and exchanged some origami with a student. He gave Nakamura sensei a bag of origami to show me, then I tinkered with and made the objects with a couple others and gave it back. Then he sent me a more complicated crane model, then I folded him an even crazier crane model. It was a fun back and forth that involved no English whatsoever. Between that and watching kendo and playing soccer and basketball, I'm starting to get to know the students, and it's really great. While the boys are generally curious, the girls are really shy, so it's going to take some more time and coaxing to get them to talk. Or I can just talk to them about the boy band groups of whom they all seem to have pictures. Looks like my homework now is to listen to music and learn the name of the Justin Timberlake of Japan. I have interesting homework assignments.
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