No more dull days! (i hope)

Sorry for the poor quality, took this pic last night out of excitement! THIS BABY IS OUT! I went in my shed last night and got out my bike for the first time. Rode it to curling practice (play the deaf team tomorrow).

Despite their still being some snow on the ground and snow in the forecast, biking is possible!! Today was my first day to ride to school, so instead of my about 30 minute walk it was about 10/15 min bike ride?? (I do not really know the times of how long it takes for either!) Today’s forecast was sunny all day (tomorrow there is a snowman mark, so I am not sure). Despite the sunny look outside, it still was a bit chilly. But I was happy to be able to bike! Maybe spring really is coming! (It sure is getting lighter, before when I would leave work at 4:15 it would be dark, and now its staying light — reminding me of GARDENING season and sitting outside with Christy in our gardens after work!)

I think the weather and biking just started today off right. This is my last week of school visits, I am at one of my base schools, so I know most of these hilarious, super energetic kids. There is never a dull moment. At all times when walking in the halls I am being summoned by some sort of english, form of my name or random shouting.

Never a Dull Moment:

First: Oddly, the last chapter in the 7th grade text book is a dialogue between Alice in Wonderland and Humpty Dumpty, it is the dumbest thing ever. But the kids had to do skits (which depending on the school can be incredibly boring, dry, quiet, and miserable). But this school is hilarious, boys played Alice with high pitched voices, kids sang the song part of the script, and just did a wide range of silly things.

Second: During my free period, the gym teacher came in and got the kid’s homeroom teacher, because he had split his head jumping and falling into some stairs (or something to that extent). Basically the ambulance had to be called, EMTs coming in, and on my way to class I was stopped because they were carrying the kid out of the nurse’s room and onto the stretcher.. I assume he just had to get some stitches.. because by 1 pm (this happened at about 10 am) the kid was back at school!???! I was shocked, if he was feeling fine it sure is a normal excuse to take the rest of the day off..

Third: But I guess today was fun, because before lunch (not sure if he made it back in time) each home room had their own farewell party (this is the last week of school before spring break and then starting of a new school year). I was invited to one of the parties, it was fun, completely organized by the students. First they broke into their already decided teams and played a game similar to name that tune, followed by more fun games, and then some snacks. Then I ate lunch with another class (which I think is homeroom to the biggest class clown, or shall I say smallest yet loudest class clown in the 7th grade). And then more funny skits.

That’s about it for my fun beginning of spring day. Tomorrow is my last school visit this school year 😦 And I do not get a spring break, just days in the office.

Again, don’t forget, I’ve been watching movies and eating sushi so make sure to click on the top right tabs (from the home page) to check em out~

 

Delivery!

Letters

So, in a previous post I had a picture of all the letters my students wrote to me. The other week during my office week I wrote them all back, around 200, yikes~ This week (last week of school) I go to that school and will give them all their responses. I do not think they are expecting it so it should be fun!

 

Feeling like Santa Claus

Snack Drawer

During office days last year Christy and I tended to be bored and just snack all the time. So I decided to instill the rules of “Snack Calls.” We were only allowed to have a snack at 10:30 and 2:30 and then each of us had one snack call to use anytime during the day. Over the year some rules have been amended but now our supply has turned into a full on snack drawer. Christy’s desk is home to the drink drawer – no rules on that one.

One of the most difficult times for a Japanese student might be their high school entrance exams, they seem to be similar to the college ones in the states (yet different in many ways – wont go into it). But those occurred last week, this week are many round two of those tests and Junior High School graduations. In Japan the new school year starts in April. So due to this, many of us do not have school visits this week. Which means a day in the office. Which include, studying, reading, talking, eating and now that gmail is blocked being angry with the fact gmail is blocked. But about two weeks ago I was at one of my regular schools and the 1st grade teacher (7th) asked me if I could write the students back (they were learning how to write letters). She handed me a bright pink handmade large envelope with a stack of letters inside. So I thought, great office project (since they were due a month later when I visited the school again).

All the students had written a short letter and drew a picture. I decided this would be fun so I did not want to finish it too quickly during my week where I had seven days to kill. So yesterday I created a template for my response letters. I counted I had 68 to write back to. While I was out making 34 copies of my template (two on a page) an envelop was placed on my desk. I came back to find 16 more letters and then 4 stacks of (probably 20-30 each) envelopes.. The other 1st grade teacher was sending me her classes… well, no more worry for finishing these babies too quickly! hahaha

Stacks of Letters

Well now I have more things to do!

By the way, went to Kantaro for Crave’s birthday dinner last night, ate 5 plates of sushi, sushi blog will be updated after work today! So check it out!!

 

I Tell Lies Daily

As part of a job as an ALT (assistant language teacher) visiting multiple schools, I have to give my jikoshyokai (self introduction) an uncountable amount of times (every grade ES 1-6, JHS 7-9, and every class) one week I gave my self intro 16 times. So, one of the skills one shot ALTS (multiple schools) quickly develop is how to tailor your self intro for different grades, skill or participation levels and time length. (I also learned that everyone thought the Capital Building was the White House – so I got a picture of the White House instead)

After self intros there is always question time, although some teachers may try to differ rude/impolite questions, an ALT has to be prepared for any question in the world. Us, ALTs can spout off our favorite color, food, season, etc.. in our sleep. Questions, obviously, vary based on grades, a first grader might ask me if I like gorillas, genuinely wanting to know, a first grade junior high school student (7th grade) might also ask me if I like gorillas, but only because they have a friend they have nicknamed gorilla, and when Taysha Sensei (me) says YES, that means I really like that boy and they find it hilarious. In JHS 95 percent of the time, the first question will be “do you have a boyfriend” after answered its always good to ask the question right back – immediately they get embarrassed, usually say no no no, while their friends say yes yes yes.

But what questions do ALTs dread and junior high schoolers (especially) want to know the answer to? Things relating to them, Japanese pop culture, so, who is your favorite Japanese: celebrity, comedian, singer, group, tv show, animation…

At the beginning I did not know celebrities names, I did not know any comedians, had favorite singer and tv shows (but none that these kids knew – they are too young), anime and manga (animation and comic books) not a huge fan of… The kids get super excited to ask, hoping you will like what they like, but when you answer with – uh I dont know Japanese celebrities, I dont like anime, I dont read manga, I like HY (semi famous okinawa band).. the kids enthusiasm instantly deflates — so what do we ALTs learn to do — LIE! (and not just about Japanese culture – American too)

Some Lies and Stories:

Favorite Book: Harry Potter (never read a page in my life)

Favorite American Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean, I like Johnny Depp (they go, ohhhh yea!)

Favorite Japanese Anime: Doraemon (a blue robot cat from the 22nd century – never watched a full episode in my life)

Doraemon

The Doraemon Debacle

One day in my self intro I said Doraemon was my favorite Japanese cartoon. Later that day during school lunch, of course I sat with the group of kids who love Doraemon and the Doraemon questions start coming. Who is your favorite Doraemon character? Answer; Doraemon of course, I like blue (Some kids were a little sad, but made sense, Doraemon is the main character). PASS! Next question: What is your favorite tool of Doraemons? (He has special tools that do cool things…apparently). Oh no! So how I recalled the Dokodemo Door (the door that can go anywhere??), answered with umm the do..ko..demo.. door? AHHh YES The docodemo door!!! PASS. Best thing though if you don’t know an answer, ask it back immediately – then go ohhh yeaaa me too me too! And the kids are so excited you have the same answer they are completely oblivious that it is clearly a lie.

Ueto Aya

Favorite Celebrity: This answer varies depending on the week, my mood, who is currently popular and what I think the kids want to hear. Answers range from Pan-kun (a famous chimp), Arashi (music group) to actors/singers.. I think next time I do my self intro I will say Ueto Aya (she’s super cute and in some tv commercials now)

Yama-P Photos I received

Yama-P Present

One week I happened to be watching a Japanese Drama Series online (great for learning/listening to Japanese as well as watching incredibly addicting tv series). Anyways, I decided that week my favorite celebrity was going to be the main actor (also a member of a boy band – like all Japanese celebs), Yama-P (Yamashita Tomohisa). Many girls got very excited about that answer. The next day after class a girl comes up to me and hands me a big blue envelope, inside are about 10 ripped out magazine pages all with pictures of Yama-P. haha

Arashi

Favorite Japanese Singer: Arashi

Arashi is NOT my favorite Japanese band. Let me tell you a bit about Arashi – In the evening hours if you turn on the TV you are most likely to find at least one channel with one, if not all, the Arashi members (5 member boy band). They have their own tv show, they appear as celebrity talents (i wont go explain the oddity of Japanese tv), I even flipped on the Olympics and saw that one member was in Vancouver.

So I knew saying Arashi, especially among the girls, would instantly result in an eruption of excitement. But what question is 99.9 percent likely to follow? WHO is your favorite member. At first I knew the name of only one, Matsu Jun (Matsumoto Jun) because he was in a drama I had watched, but really not my favorite at all. So this resulted in research of Arashi, while walking around the classroom when students did worksheets, I inspected the multitudes of pencil cases that lay upon girls desks – Arashi – everywhere. So I was able to learn some names from the cases, but then I used wikipedia to answer the rest of my questions and google image search to decide my favorite.

There are MANY famous Japanese boy bands in Japan that are particularly popular with JHS girls, so I have picked out at least one favorite person from each group (so they get excited when they believe I really know what I am talking about). So when I am asked about Arashi, I have decided to answer Aiba, then I proceed to ask them who their favorite is. With Arashi I now know all the members. But today I was then assaulted with who my favorite in many bands were, I had my answers, but when they told me theirs I said I would only know who they were if they showed me a picture (I didn’t know their names).

EXILE original 7

SO that leads to my next Office day of BLOCKED GMAIL – instead of where are they now figure skaters, it is to LEARN WHO the members of KAT-TUN and EXILE are (I have my favorites, Kamenashi and Atsushi) and then if I feel like being an extra-awesome ALT – HEY! SAY! JUMP! and NEWS

Kat-tun

*interesting side note – Exile has been around since i first came to Japan over 10 years ago, they are so popular that when a band with the same manager was failing he decided to just add them to EXILE to piggyback on their success. EXILE went from 7 members to 14… dumb.