Thursday, July 5, 2012
It's over
Seems no matter how far I go or how hard I try, I just can't stop being me. Depression got the bext of me. And then it ruined my life. Again. I was sent home from Japan because of it. Now I'm back where I started, with nothing to show from the last few months other than the weight of my complete and utter failure. So that's the end of the blog. Thanks for stopping by.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Sorry about this weekend folks
It's been a bumpy ride. I'll spare you the gory details for when something has finally been finalized.
Friday was a fun day at school. I got to do some Taiko drums with my fifth graders, who already think I'm the coolest guy in the world, so it was nice to promote that status. The head language teacher at my school made a video recording of my 12 month blues, so that was cool. And my fifth grade lessons went overt exceedingly well. I love those kids. Saturday was dramatic in the morning, and awesome in the evening. I went to a birthday party for one of my student's older sister. Now, in America, when we say birthday party, we usually mean gather some folks and have a good time. Yeah, they meant, "D sensei, please join our family for birthday dinner." There was no "party." It was just me. Which is cool, in a sense, but also, I felt a lot of pressure to be entertaining. It was a fun evening ,though. I got challenged by Himuka, my sixth grader, to a game of reversi. Here's the thing about strategy games you've never played before. When you're playing against a 6th grader...just remember that you're smarter than they are, and things will turn out fine. Then we played Jenga. Then we played life. I came in second because I didn't have any kids to sell. Oh, well.
Sunday was cool. Dresden in the morning, cards and such in the afternoon/evening.
Monday was a fun day at school. The fifth grade lesson was a bunch of learning activities, a.k.a games, so I got to clap and act silly for all 4 classes and call it education. Score. Then, I had some BS training to do right after, which is why I completely forgot to update yesterday.
Today was awesome. Sotono is a great place to be. My lesson was a lot of fun to begin with, but when I woke up this morning, I was stricken with inspiration and came up with a song in 5 minutes or less that I was able to teach today. It was shaky the first run through, so during morning break, I decided to practice. Well, I didn't want to practice in the teachers' room and disturb everyone. So I decided to go outside. And I got mobbed by every little nensee on the play ground. They came around and begged me to play the one song they knew. So I did, then I segued into the song that only the 6th graders knew, and followed up by practicing my new song in front of a crowd. Meanwhile, the teachers in the teachers' room open the window, and hear a group of kids singing in English. And the next thing I know, the principal is hanging out of the window taking pictures of me and my minions. It was sublime.
Later, I went to Hirano Uematsu's house. Who is Hirano Uematsu, you ask? Well, my japanese 1&2 teacher lived in hitachinaka and went to sotono elementary. And she told her parents that I worked there. SO they sought me out, and invited me to their house for tea and dinner(and also whiskey and beer, but I found that out once I got there) It was a lovely and delicious evening, and apparently, I can have a 3 hour conversation in 95% Japanese with two adult strangers for 3.5 hours. So go, me. And the best part of this whole thing was, he showed up at my school at 2:50. And I didn't get off of work until 3:30. But my vice principal was like "Go. Let me sign your time sheet, and then you can leave early. Have fun!" Win.
We'll see how the rest of the week goes, but it's off to a good start.
Friday was a fun day at school. I got to do some Taiko drums with my fifth graders, who already think I'm the coolest guy in the world, so it was nice to promote that status. The head language teacher at my school made a video recording of my 12 month blues, so that was cool. And my fifth grade lessons went overt exceedingly well. I love those kids. Saturday was dramatic in the morning, and awesome in the evening. I went to a birthday party for one of my student's older sister. Now, in America, when we say birthday party, we usually mean gather some folks and have a good time. Yeah, they meant, "D sensei, please join our family for birthday dinner." There was no "party." It was just me. Which is cool, in a sense, but also, I felt a lot of pressure to be entertaining. It was a fun evening ,though. I got challenged by Himuka, my sixth grader, to a game of reversi. Here's the thing about strategy games you've never played before. When you're playing against a 6th grader...just remember that you're smarter than they are, and things will turn out fine. Then we played Jenga. Then we played life. I came in second because I didn't have any kids to sell. Oh, well.
Sunday was cool. Dresden in the morning, cards and such in the afternoon/evening.
Monday was a fun day at school. The fifth grade lesson was a bunch of learning activities, a.k.a games, so I got to clap and act silly for all 4 classes and call it education. Score. Then, I had some BS training to do right after, which is why I completely forgot to update yesterday.
Today was awesome. Sotono is a great place to be. My lesson was a lot of fun to begin with, but when I woke up this morning, I was stricken with inspiration and came up with a song in 5 minutes or less that I was able to teach today. It was shaky the first run through, so during morning break, I decided to practice. Well, I didn't want to practice in the teachers' room and disturb everyone. So I decided to go outside. And I got mobbed by every little nensee on the play ground. They came around and begged me to play the one song they knew. So I did, then I segued into the song that only the 6th graders knew, and followed up by practicing my new song in front of a crowd. Meanwhile, the teachers in the teachers' room open the window, and hear a group of kids singing in English. And the next thing I know, the principal is hanging out of the window taking pictures of me and my minions. It was sublime.
Later, I went to Hirano Uematsu's house. Who is Hirano Uematsu, you ask? Well, my japanese 1&2 teacher lived in hitachinaka and went to sotono elementary. And she told her parents that I worked there. SO they sought me out, and invited me to their house for tea and dinner(and also whiskey and beer, but I found that out once I got there) It was a lovely and delicious evening, and apparently, I can have a 3 hour conversation in 95% Japanese with two adult strangers for 3.5 hours. So go, me. And the best part of this whole thing was, he showed up at my school at 2:50. And I didn't get off of work until 3:30. But my vice principal was like "Go. Let me sign your time sheet, and then you can leave early. Have fun!" Win.
We'll see how the rest of the week goes, but it's off to a good start.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Happy Monday
Sorry about the "late" update.
This weekend was pretty cool. After watching Japan TROUNCE Jordan in a soccer game, Viren, Sarah, and I walked the 300 miles back to Viren's house to get his car. Then we drove to Sara's to hang out. Got in touch with Jenny, picked her up, and played cards till 3am? It was ridiculous, but fun.
Saturday, I slept in like a bum. Did very little around the house and went out for another night of drinking and fun. Turned out to have a pretty decent crowd, and I made some new friends.
Sunday I woke up early to google chat with my friends back in the states, and went out for all you can eat indian food for dinner.
Today was a good day at work. Lot of chanting, lots of laughter, and lots of rock paper scissors. So everyone wins.
I'm going to bed, though. Early day, and a long week ahead. Too bad I'm already exhausted.
Dexter Out.
This weekend was pretty cool. After watching Japan TROUNCE Jordan in a soccer game, Viren, Sarah, and I walked the 300 miles back to Viren's house to get his car. Then we drove to Sara's to hang out. Got in touch with Jenny, picked her up, and played cards till 3am? It was ridiculous, but fun.
Saturday, I slept in like a bum. Did very little around the house and went out for another night of drinking and fun. Turned out to have a pretty decent crowd, and I made some new friends.
Sunday I woke up early to google chat with my friends back in the states, and went out for all you can eat indian food for dinner.
Today was a good day at work. Lot of chanting, lots of laughter, and lots of rock paper scissors. So everyone wins.
I'm going to bed, though. Early day, and a long week ahead. Too bad I'm already exhausted.
Dexter Out.
Friday, June 8, 2012
What a week...warning: keeping it real ahead. Beware of bad words
Tuesday was a blast. My lessons went over really well. Poor rokunen ni kumi. (6th grade- second class). They are always first to receive the sixth grade lesson. And it's always the least good. Its in no way shape or form bad, but the most confusing, and slightly hectic. And then I get 20 minutes to sort out everything that went wrong, and the rest of my classes are seamless and fantastic. Not that they don't learn what they need to, its just always the most bumpy ride.
I played dodgeball for the first time. A girl from 6-1 grabbed me by the hand, which is normal for any student to do, so I thought nothing of it, and led me to the dodgeball area. Then she dropped me off on the boys side and the game was on. No, she didn't ask. She just put me in the square and threw a ball at me. I caught it, but still. I played dumb and didnt throw the ball at anyone, I just passed it along. So they thought I didn't understand the rules They explained then to me. They asked if I understood and said yes. SO I explained it back to them in english, while miming the actions.....and thats where it happened.
The Dogeball Tango:
"Now I'm standing in the doge zone, miming out the actions for dodgeball. Minding my own business. In jumps a roku nensee with a happy face. "Ganbatte, D sensei!" He says. He was crazy. And he kept on screaming
"Ganbatte, D sensei!"...And then he ran into my fist. He ran into to fist 1 time."
If you're not familiar with the musical chicago, go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4_H65XoykY. Fast forward to 3:35. Enjoy
Also, I look FANTASTIC in my new clothes.
Nothing too big to report for wednesday. I went in, taught 6 classes and got out. Went to the duck for onion rings and a beer, and called it a night.
There is nothing good about Thursdays. I hate them. The kids are bad. The teachers don't care, and there's nothing I can do. I almost hit a kid. I was able to adjust my swing at the last second, but I almost clobbered him. So, that whole grabbing each others' private ares thing that we are taught NEVER to do? Here, its just something that happens. And if you're 3 and havent been taught any better, I'll dodge the best I can and tell your dad to help me. And if your an adorable second grader giving me a hug, or part of a swarm of children trying to get as close to the cool teacher as you can, I will move your hands away from vital areas and deal. But if youre a sixth grader, and you ask me about sex, and I diffuse the situation and try to walk away, and then you decide to grab my penis, I might punch you. And if you're a sixth grader and you put up your dukes and I put up my hands cuz you want to punch them, cool. But dont try to then punch me in the dick. It's not ok. If I tell them to stop in English, they "don't understand." If I tell them to stop in Japanese, they think its funny and try to get me to speak in Japanese again, by molesting me. I dont want to talk to the teacher, or really the office staff at my company about it, because I dont want anything to get lost in translation. But something needs to be done.
So my first lesson on friday was ok. Nothing fantastic, cuz these kids don't care about learning. My second class was awful. The kids were straight up boo-ing the new song I tried to teach them. So I stopped. Whatever. Then we tried to do some drills on the new vocabulary. And they just.....didn't do it. They wouldn't repeat after me. They wouldn't say what I was pointing to, and the teacher did ABSOLUTELY nothing to help me. We tried to do the book activity. Draw a line from the month to the corresponding holiday. And they were just like "no." They sat there and either stared at me, or talked amongst themselves. And I know they understood me. 1 Because weve done more complicated thing. 2 because its obvious. 3 because I mimed it. and finally, because I explained it in Japanese. Nothing. Cool. So I decided to call them out. I got super excited about the game, blackboard battle, and got them really hyped. And then I explained it to them and started the game. And the couldn't do it. Cuz only 3 people in the class had been paying me any attention at all the entire day. And they were PISSED when we stopped the game to go back to drilling. And I felt bad for them...because I hate to see good students suffer. So I was pissed, and I let it show a little bit, with some sarcasm. The third class was a lot of the same, actually. they did a little better on the drilling, because their teacher actually tried to make them, so we were able to play. But it was mostly the girls squashing the boys, because the boys NEVER pay attention.
I had 1 good lesson. Did my intro lesson for some second graders. They flipped out and we had a great time. Then it was back to fifth graders. And nothing quite completes a crappy day like ACCIDENTALLY smacking a kid in the face. If I had made the decision to smack a kid, I'm sure it would have made me feel great. But we were playing the game, and this poor girl was right behind me, and I reached back to motion the next kids forward without looking, and clipped her right in the chin. So hard that I had to catch her before she hit the ground. Needless to say, she cried and went to the nurse for ice. I felt like shit.
Today was amazing. I got to play with the first graders. Cuz that's all my intro lesson is at this point. Me playing around on the blackboard with little kids making them scream at me in English and singing a song. Got to do that twice. Then I went to my 5th graders. Who are just tops. There's the one class with the teacher who is beguiling beyond belief, and there's the class with my favorite special needs student of them all, Daisuke. So the first class, we just had a lot fo fun talking in English about emotions and expressions and playing the games and stuff. Time flew by in there. Those kids are really smart, and a big part of it, is because their teacher is completely involved. She is the one teacher where I sometimes feel like I have to compete with for the kids' attention. Its fun. I like a challenge. Then I went to the next class. This class has a lot of kids who make it difficult for others to learn. Whether its learning disabilities or just bad behavior, we have to try a little harder each week for that class. Things were going along smoothly, then BAM! Out of nowhere, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, COMPLETELY UNANNOUNCED, WALKS INTO MY CLASS TO OBSERVE ME!!!!!!...............................................WHAT??!?!?!??!?!?! WHAT HAPPENED TO, "YOU WILL RECEIVE WARNING ABOUT THE BOE VISIT"????? So they watched me play "D says" with the kids for a while. Got to see them listening carefully, and gesturing in correspondence with English words. I could hear them muttering, and what I heard sounded good. I was just a little surprised. ちょっとびっくりしました！The head English teacher said I have nothing to worry about. All the kids think I'm interesting, and she loves my voice and the inflections I use. She's happy about my use of eye contact, and even more happy that the kids focus on me the whole time, at least in her class. Its good to hear. I wore my "cool biz" attire to work today. Everyone said I looked cool and handsome. I was just happy to not be sweating like a beast.
Last two classes were 6th grade. They went over really well. They loved the 12 month blues almost as much as I do. As we were leaving for the day, me entourage of children grew from 4 to 10. I felt like a GOD! And they were like "sing the new song you taught us. Right now." And I obliged, so we sang it all the way back to the teachers room. They stopped, pulled out my guitar, cuz they were carrying it, and made me play along while we sang it. The vice principal, I think, saw it happening and said "subarashii" which is wonderful. I guess from an outside point of view, they see me in class from time to time, drilling words and playing games. Then all of a sudden, I walk out of a class with 10 kids singing the 12 months of the year in English, and I think that they are happy to see something good coming out of it. And at the very least, Im awesome at teaching the joy of communication.
Now its time to forget work officially for 36 hours, and drink beer while watching soccer. And then drinking more beer tomorrow.
Dexter OUT
I played dodgeball for the first time. A girl from 6-1 grabbed me by the hand, which is normal for any student to do, so I thought nothing of it, and led me to the dodgeball area. Then she dropped me off on the boys side and the game was on. No, she didn't ask. She just put me in the square and threw a ball at me. I caught it, but still. I played dumb and didnt throw the ball at anyone, I just passed it along. So they thought I didn't understand the rules They explained then to me. They asked if I understood and said yes. SO I explained it back to them in english, while miming the actions.....and thats where it happened.
The Dogeball Tango:
"Now I'm standing in the doge zone, miming out the actions for dodgeball. Minding my own business. In jumps a roku nensee with a happy face. "Ganbatte, D sensei!" He says. He was crazy. And he kept on screaming
"Ganbatte, D sensei!"...And then he ran into my fist. He ran into to fist 1 time."
If you're not familiar with the musical chicago, go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4_H65XoykY. Fast forward to 3:35. Enjoy
Also, I look FANTASTIC in my new clothes.
Nothing too big to report for wednesday. I went in, taught 6 classes and got out. Went to the duck for onion rings and a beer, and called it a night.
There is nothing good about Thursdays. I hate them. The kids are bad. The teachers don't care, and there's nothing I can do. I almost hit a kid. I was able to adjust my swing at the last second, but I almost clobbered him. So, that whole grabbing each others' private ares thing that we are taught NEVER to do? Here, its just something that happens. And if you're 3 and havent been taught any better, I'll dodge the best I can and tell your dad to help me. And if your an adorable second grader giving me a hug, or part of a swarm of children trying to get as close to the cool teacher as you can, I will move your hands away from vital areas and deal. But if youre a sixth grader, and you ask me about sex, and I diffuse the situation and try to walk away, and then you decide to grab my penis, I might punch you. And if you're a sixth grader and you put up your dukes and I put up my hands cuz you want to punch them, cool. But dont try to then punch me in the dick. It's not ok. If I tell them to stop in English, they "don't understand." If I tell them to stop in Japanese, they think its funny and try to get me to speak in Japanese again, by molesting me. I dont want to talk to the teacher, or really the office staff at my company about it, because I dont want anything to get lost in translation. But something needs to be done.
So my first lesson on friday was ok. Nothing fantastic, cuz these kids don't care about learning. My second class was awful. The kids were straight up boo-ing the new song I tried to teach them. So I stopped. Whatever. Then we tried to do some drills on the new vocabulary. And they just.....didn't do it. They wouldn't repeat after me. They wouldn't say what I was pointing to, and the teacher did ABSOLUTELY nothing to help me. We tried to do the book activity. Draw a line from the month to the corresponding holiday. And they were just like "no." They sat there and either stared at me, or talked amongst themselves. And I know they understood me. 1 Because weve done more complicated thing. 2 because its obvious. 3 because I mimed it. and finally, because I explained it in Japanese. Nothing. Cool. So I decided to call them out. I got super excited about the game, blackboard battle, and got them really hyped. And then I explained it to them and started the game. And the couldn't do it. Cuz only 3 people in the class had been paying me any attention at all the entire day. And they were PISSED when we stopped the game to go back to drilling. And I felt bad for them...because I hate to see good students suffer. So I was pissed, and I let it show a little bit, with some sarcasm. The third class was a lot of the same, actually. they did a little better on the drilling, because their teacher actually tried to make them, so we were able to play. But it was mostly the girls squashing the boys, because the boys NEVER pay attention.
I had 1 good lesson. Did my intro lesson for some second graders. They flipped out and we had a great time. Then it was back to fifth graders. And nothing quite completes a crappy day like ACCIDENTALLY smacking a kid in the face. If I had made the decision to smack a kid, I'm sure it would have made me feel great. But we were playing the game, and this poor girl was right behind me, and I reached back to motion the next kids forward without looking, and clipped her right in the chin. So hard that I had to catch her before she hit the ground. Needless to say, she cried and went to the nurse for ice. I felt like shit.
Today was amazing. I got to play with the first graders. Cuz that's all my intro lesson is at this point. Me playing around on the blackboard with little kids making them scream at me in English and singing a song. Got to do that twice. Then I went to my 5th graders. Who are just tops. There's the one class with the teacher who is beguiling beyond belief, and there's the class with my favorite special needs student of them all, Daisuke. So the first class, we just had a lot fo fun talking in English about emotions and expressions and playing the games and stuff. Time flew by in there. Those kids are really smart, and a big part of it, is because their teacher is completely involved. She is the one teacher where I sometimes feel like I have to compete with for the kids' attention. Its fun. I like a challenge. Then I went to the next class. This class has a lot of kids who make it difficult for others to learn. Whether its learning disabilities or just bad behavior, we have to try a little harder each week for that class. Things were going along smoothly, then BAM! Out of nowhere, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, COMPLETELY UNANNOUNCED, WALKS INTO MY CLASS TO OBSERVE ME!!!!!!...............................................WHAT??!?!?!??!?!?! WHAT HAPPENED TO, "YOU WILL RECEIVE WARNING ABOUT THE BOE VISIT"????? So they watched me play "D says" with the kids for a while. Got to see them listening carefully, and gesturing in correspondence with English words. I could hear them muttering, and what I heard sounded good. I was just a little surprised. ちょっとびっくりしました！The head English teacher said I have nothing to worry about. All the kids think I'm interesting, and she loves my voice and the inflections I use. She's happy about my use of eye contact, and even more happy that the kids focus on me the whole time, at least in her class. Its good to hear. I wore my "cool biz" attire to work today. Everyone said I looked cool and handsome. I was just happy to not be sweating like a beast.
Last two classes were 6th grade. They went over really well. They loved the 12 month blues almost as much as I do. As we were leaving for the day, me entourage of children grew from 4 to 10. I felt like a GOD! And they were like "sing the new song you taught us. Right now." And I obliged, so we sang it all the way back to the teachers room. They stopped, pulled out my guitar, cuz they were carrying it, and made me play along while we sang it. The vice principal, I think, saw it happening and said "subarashii" which is wonderful. I guess from an outside point of view, they see me in class from time to time, drilling words and playing games. Then all of a sudden, I walk out of a class with 10 kids singing the 12 months of the year in English, and I think that they are happy to see something good coming out of it. And at the very least, Im awesome at teaching the joy of communication.
Now its time to forget work officially for 36 hours, and drink beer while watching soccer. And then drinking more beer tomorrow.
Dexter OUT
Monday, June 4, 2012
Happy Monday Everyone!
The weekend was fun. Not quite what I expected, but fun. I went out friday night to the duck, which is our favorite bar, and hung out with Takumi and one of his co-workers. Lo, and behold! The rest of the ALTs showed up, too. Apparently, someone had made plans for us all to meet there. I missed that memo, but luckily we all got there at the same time. A few hours flew by, and I met this cool guy named Jason. He works for JET, which is another program that fosters English teachers. He's a nerd like me, so we sat around getting drunk, talking about D&D. Then we ended the night with a few rowdy hours of karaoke. Woke up late on saturday. Turned off all the alarms and managed to sleep through the first few rays of sunlight. Saturday night was supposed to be a big fun night out for me, but I refuse to associate myself who refuse to behave like decent human beings. I tried to be a bigger person, and look past all of the bad qualities they were portraying, but add potential $30 cover and $50 cab ride home.......no thanks. Not to hang out with those guys. So I caught the last train back to my town and ended up back at the duck. Had a good time there, as usual. I should just live there. Then yesterday was the bbq with one of my student's family. It was fun. Not really as wild as the one with the band folks, but that is to be expected. Musicians around the world all know how to party. Then I went home and spent the rest of the day relaxing.
Today was a tremendous amount of fun. "D says" is a great game. It's like simon says, but ya know...me. We also did lots of fun singing, played onaji jya nai, and blackboard battle.
Onaji Jya Nai
Step 1- Place 6 flashcards on the board for feelings: Happy, Sad, Tired, Hungry, Sleepy, and Fine.
Step 2-Number them 1-6
Step 3:
D: Hello!
Students: Hello!
D: How are you?
Students: I'm ~ (They pick whatever) How are you?
Step 4-Reach into a hat/bag.whatever where you have numbered cards 1-6, and pull one out.
Step 5 D-I'm ~ (Whatever your card corresponds two)
Step 6-Those who are the same as me, are out. The rest of them say "Onaji jya nai"
Step 7 Remove the card you picked out, and its corresponding flash card from the game.
Repeat steps 3-7 4 times. Pick the most genki child, or the one you feel will have the most success, and have them lead the class in round 2. They become D.
Blackboard Battle
Step 1-Line up flashcards of the vocabulary on the board.
Step 2-Line the students up into two teams on opposite sides of the vocabulary words.
Step 3- Gesture dramatically for them to start.
The lead person on each team reads toe vocabulary as fast as they can, making their way towards the other side. Once they meet, they Janken (Rock, paper, scissors) and the winner continues forward, and the loser retreats to the back of his/her line. Meanwhile the second person in line on the losing side begins. If any person makes it from one side to the other, their team gets one point. It's a great game, because there are lots of opportunities to succeed. If you are slow at english but rock at janken, you're like a tank that slowly makes lots of progress. If you are quick with english, but unlucky at janken, youre great at giving your team some room to play with. If youre slow at engligh, and are slow at janken, you still love playing janken because you're a japanese child, so you are still excited and willing to try. win.
So I played those 4 times today, got my planning for tomorrow done, found out I get to dress down cuz its so hot, and have a work excuse to go buy new clothes. Huzzah!
TO THE MALL!
Today was a tremendous amount of fun. "D says" is a great game. It's like simon says, but ya know...me. We also did lots of fun singing, played onaji jya nai, and blackboard battle.
Onaji Jya Nai
Step 1- Place 6 flashcards on the board for feelings: Happy, Sad, Tired, Hungry, Sleepy, and Fine.
Step 2-Number them 1-6
Step 3:
D: Hello!
Students: Hello!
D: How are you?
Students: I'm ~ (They pick whatever) How are you?
Step 4-Reach into a hat/bag.whatever where you have numbered cards 1-6, and pull one out.
Step 5 D-I'm ~ (Whatever your card corresponds two)
Step 6-Those who are the same as me, are out. The rest of them say "Onaji jya nai"
Step 7 Remove the card you picked out, and its corresponding flash card from the game.
Repeat steps 3-7 4 times. Pick the most genki child, or the one you feel will have the most success, and have them lead the class in round 2. They become D.
Blackboard Battle
Step 1-Line up flashcards of the vocabulary on the board.
Step 2-Line the students up into two teams on opposite sides of the vocabulary words.
Step 3- Gesture dramatically for them to start.
The lead person on each team reads toe vocabulary as fast as they can, making their way towards the other side. Once they meet, they Janken (Rock, paper, scissors) and the winner continues forward, and the loser retreats to the back of his/her line. Meanwhile the second person in line on the losing side begins. If any person makes it from one side to the other, their team gets one point. It's a great game, because there are lots of opportunities to succeed. If you are slow at english but rock at janken, you're like a tank that slowly makes lots of progress. If you are quick with english, but unlucky at janken, youre great at giving your team some room to play with. If youre slow at engligh, and are slow at janken, you still love playing janken because you're a japanese child, so you are still excited and willing to try. win.
So I played those 4 times today, got my planning for tomorrow done, found out I get to dress down cuz its so hot, and have a work excuse to go buy new clothes. Huzzah!
TO THE MALL!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Rough Week
It was not a good week. I felt very over burdened by everything, and it was difficult to find a productive outlet for my frustration. The worst of it was Tuesday night, and it bled over into Wednesday. My stomach always craps out on me when I feel this way, so it was just a difficult week.
Nothing all that spectacular to report. Looking forward to a fun weekend. Just got my first paycheck. It's missing about a weeks worth from what I'll normally be making. It feels nice to be paid though.
Highlight of the week: I taught the blues to a bunch of Japanese 6th graders. At first, they didn't really get why it was cool, but then I sang it for real, and they all got into it. So hooray for using music to teach. I think I make it work really well. Also, if I don't bring my guitar, the kids might riot. Just sayin'
Dexter OUT
ps....This is going to be a full weekend...I'm sure the next port will be more exciting. And I'm going to try to remember to take my camera, so hopefully there will be pictures. Hooray!
Nothing all that spectacular to report. Looking forward to a fun weekend. Just got my first paycheck. It's missing about a weeks worth from what I'll normally be making. It feels nice to be paid though.
Highlight of the week: I taught the blues to a bunch of Japanese 6th graders. At first, they didn't really get why it was cool, but then I sang it for real, and they all got into it. So hooray for using music to teach. I think I make it work really well. Also, if I don't bring my guitar, the kids might riot. Just sayin'
Dexter OUT
ps....This is going to be a full weekend...I'm sure the next port will be more exciting. And I'm going to try to remember to take my camera, so hopefully there will be pictures. Hooray!
Monday, May 28, 2012
To my readers
Hello all. First and foremost, I do appreciate you all taking the time to read my blog and follow my journey. As I press onward, I keep finding it harder and harder to update regularly. And the end of each day, I just find my mind shuts off and productivity rapidly reaches zero. I feel guilty knowing that there are some of you who check only to find that nothing has been updated. My solution is thus: I will update twice a week, on mondays and fridays. The update should occur early in the morning, because I plan on forcing myself to write it as soon as I get home from work. That is the official new plan.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of last week were all mainly comprised of practice for the sports festival on saturday. I helped out where I could, showing support for my kids, and encouraging them to give it their all. On wed, I was invited to go to the sports festival for higashi ishikawa, one of the schools where I teach. I gladly accepted.
On saturday, I arrived at school and surprised most of the students. They had no idea I would be there. It was nice to see them light up, and it feels cool to know you're the coolest guy there, or at least the most popular. I saw parents in huddles whispering about me, which means I've been discussed at home. And I suppose thats a good thing.
The day was long, and the kids competed well. I was really proud watching them and cheering them on. During lunch, I was assaulted with all kinds of food. One kid gave me a piece of candy, and then EVERY OTHER CHILD also tried to give me a snack of some sort. I tried to hide in the teacher's room, but all of the teachers then tried to get me to eat. I had pastires, more candy, and onigiri. It was all delicious. I ventured back outside and was led to meet many parents. They were all brief introductions, because all of my students kept dragging me to meet their parents. It was fun, and I'm happy that my kids like me. And that they try to speak to me in English. I haven't taught them a whole lot, but at least I've imparted upon them a joy of communication, which is one of the aims of our company. Score.
Sunday, a couple of us went to the beach. It was fun. We battled the ocean some, but mostly just sat around talking about all kinds of things. We ended up bowling later on that night, and then went out for dinner. It was a nice day.
Today I spent trying to be productive. My elementary school was closed, so I had an at home work day. I did some cleaning, did some laundry, and did some lesson planning. Not as much as I wanted to, but enough to feel like I'm ready for the next two days. Which is a relief. I'm going to bed soon. I'm really tired today. I blame my futon. It's really just not the most comfortable thing to sleep on. I'm basically sleeping on the floor. I tried putting some pillows under it, but they are losing their fluff, because I weigh a lot. Every morning I wake up sore because of the pressure of my body agaisnt the ground, so its hard to feel really rested. I hope to remedy the situation somehow...but not until after I get paid on thursday.
Dexter OUT
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of last week were all mainly comprised of practice for the sports festival on saturday. I helped out where I could, showing support for my kids, and encouraging them to give it their all. On wed, I was invited to go to the sports festival for higashi ishikawa, one of the schools where I teach. I gladly accepted.
On saturday, I arrived at school and surprised most of the students. They had no idea I would be there. It was nice to see them light up, and it feels cool to know you're the coolest guy there, or at least the most popular. I saw parents in huddles whispering about me, which means I've been discussed at home. And I suppose thats a good thing.
The day was long, and the kids competed well. I was really proud watching them and cheering them on. During lunch, I was assaulted with all kinds of food. One kid gave me a piece of candy, and then EVERY OTHER CHILD also tried to give me a snack of some sort. I tried to hide in the teacher's room, but all of the teachers then tried to get me to eat. I had pastires, more candy, and onigiri. It was all delicious. I ventured back outside and was led to meet many parents. They were all brief introductions, because all of my students kept dragging me to meet their parents. It was fun, and I'm happy that my kids like me. And that they try to speak to me in English. I haven't taught them a whole lot, but at least I've imparted upon them a joy of communication, which is one of the aims of our company. Score.
Sunday, a couple of us went to the beach. It was fun. We battled the ocean some, but mostly just sat around talking about all kinds of things. We ended up bowling later on that night, and then went out for dinner. It was a nice day.
Today I spent trying to be productive. My elementary school was closed, so I had an at home work day. I did some cleaning, did some laundry, and did some lesson planning. Not as much as I wanted to, but enough to feel like I'm ready for the next two days. Which is a relief. I'm going to bed soon. I'm really tired today. I blame my futon. It's really just not the most comfortable thing to sleep on. I'm basically sleeping on the floor. I tried putting some pillows under it, but they are losing their fluff, because I weigh a lot. Every morning I wake up sore because of the pressure of my body agaisnt the ground, so its hard to feel really rested. I hope to remedy the situation somehow...but not until after I get paid on thursday.
Dexter OUT
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
It's been a week.
I'll try to give you all a quick re-cap. Last wednesday was "awful." It was an extremely hot day. And on top of that, I caught some sort of horrendous stomach bug. Teaching kids when you have a violently upset stomach is not an easy task, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. So for every one of my teachers who has had to fake it and make it through class, Bravo. The teaching wasn't so bad, but it was, again, hot, and the day was long. I had to teach 5 classes. That's not terrible, really, but in conjunction with everything else, I just wasn't having a good day.
My stomach continued to revolt throughout thursday, and the teachers at school noticed. I assured them that I was fine, but I was unable to mask my pain completely. That day was mostly a blur, and a concentrated effort to make it through each class. I finally felt better at the end of the day, and was able to make it through band rehearsal that night.
Fridays are always hectic, because I teach "six" classes. I teach 4 whole periods, and then do and half into lesson with some of the younger students. It's fun, but its quite the hectic scramble. Some of the 5th graders decided to cartwheel out of class. I didn't quite know how to respond, so I just continued with the lesson while the teacher went to collect them. It was hilarious, but I kept my cool and continued the lesson. The 6th graders were "supposed" to do a worksheet. I had one planned for them. But the Language teacher saw it and turned it down flat. So I had to come up with something to do, and fast. I made it work with Janken assassins and parachute man, and decided that it would be fun to incorporate that into the rest of my lessons. Also, I have this friday off. WOO!
Speaking of schedule changes, it gets really difficult to remember what classes have learned what when things are constantly changing with m schedule. On wed, the 5th graders are a full week ahead of everyone else, and I have varying degrees of sixth grade differences through the rest of the week. I made an excel spreadsheet to help me remember, but its tough. Especially because I'm not prone to being very organized.
This past weekend, we all let loose at the duck. It's a bar named "The Drunken Duck," but since we're regulars now, we just call it the duck. Then saturday I spent being productive around the house until I went to a charity event at a club. It was fun, and I ended up with a new shirt. Ryota asked if we could trade shirts. I don't know why. I don't know if its common in Japan for people to trade shirts with each other, but he asked, and I said sure. So he got my crummy wife beater, and I got his snazzy afro t-shirt. I was down. Then we left the club and went to a snack bar. I made friends with some of the band members from the club, and we had a good time.
Sunday was indeed a day of rest.
Monday was intense. I only taught for an hour and a half. Two 45 minute classes. But both of them were double lessons. So two 5th grade classes at a time, twice. Made it seem like forever. But it really wasn't.
Then, today, I walked into school and was told that my bosses would be observing me today. I don't know if I've expressed this clearly before, but Tuesdays are my least favorite days. They are all 6th grade, and it's the first time I teach the new lesson. So if it's going to tank and fail, I have no idea until after my first class tuesday. The problem is they were scheduled to show at 10, right during my first lesson. Luckily, for whatever reason, they didn't come. We'll see what the rest of the week holds. Now I'm off to sleep, so I can be ready for a long day tomorrow.
Dexter OUT
My stomach continued to revolt throughout thursday, and the teachers at school noticed. I assured them that I was fine, but I was unable to mask my pain completely. That day was mostly a blur, and a concentrated effort to make it through each class. I finally felt better at the end of the day, and was able to make it through band rehearsal that night.
Fridays are always hectic, because I teach "six" classes. I teach 4 whole periods, and then do and half into lesson with some of the younger students. It's fun, but its quite the hectic scramble. Some of the 5th graders decided to cartwheel out of class. I didn't quite know how to respond, so I just continued with the lesson while the teacher went to collect them. It was hilarious, but I kept my cool and continued the lesson. The 6th graders were "supposed" to do a worksheet. I had one planned for them. But the Language teacher saw it and turned it down flat. So I had to come up with something to do, and fast. I made it work with Janken assassins and parachute man, and decided that it would be fun to incorporate that into the rest of my lessons. Also, I have this friday off. WOO!
Speaking of schedule changes, it gets really difficult to remember what classes have learned what when things are constantly changing with m schedule. On wed, the 5th graders are a full week ahead of everyone else, and I have varying degrees of sixth grade differences through the rest of the week. I made an excel spreadsheet to help me remember, but its tough. Especially because I'm not prone to being very organized.
This past weekend, we all let loose at the duck. It's a bar named "The Drunken Duck," but since we're regulars now, we just call it the duck. Then saturday I spent being productive around the house until I went to a charity event at a club. It was fun, and I ended up with a new shirt. Ryota asked if we could trade shirts. I don't know why. I don't know if its common in Japan for people to trade shirts with each other, but he asked, and I said sure. So he got my crummy wife beater, and I got his snazzy afro t-shirt. I was down. Then we left the club and went to a snack bar. I made friends with some of the band members from the club, and we had a good time.
Sunday was indeed a day of rest.
Monday was intense. I only taught for an hour and a half. Two 45 minute classes. But both of them were double lessons. So two 5th grade classes at a time, twice. Made it seem like forever. But it really wasn't.
Then, today, I walked into school and was told that my bosses would be observing me today. I don't know if I've expressed this clearly before, but Tuesdays are my least favorite days. They are all 6th grade, and it's the first time I teach the new lesson. So if it's going to tank and fail, I have no idea until after my first class tuesday. The problem is they were scheduled to show at 10, right during my first lesson. Luckily, for whatever reason, they didn't come. We'll see what the rest of the week holds. Now I'm off to sleep, so I can be ready for a long day tomorrow.
Dexter OUT
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
I wish
That I could blog telepathically, so I wouldn't forget all of the things I wanted to blog about. Today was a good day. I got to help with rehearsal for the sports festival to this epic remix of "The Mickey Mouse" song. My 5th grade lessons went ok. The classes are at very different speeds though. So now i have to decide what to do about trying to keep the classes on the same lesson. I didn't teach the 6th graders today, which was cool. I think my brain might have melted. Also, this school is freaking hot. The bad thing about not teaching 6th grade, though, is that I don't get to have class with my special needs kids. I saw them in the halls and they made me happy. The one who used to run away from me, now runs towards me. The one with aspergers still never stops talking, and the one who reads to me started singing to me in the hallway. The greeting song I taught them. So at least they know how to use it. And he talked reminded me to watch naruto. "Naruto o mirutebayo!" Which is precious, because I never told him I watched Naruto. Not directly. He was listening to my broadcast over the speaker system, remembered, and then talked to me about it. I feel like I'm making a lot of good progress.
I also don't understand why I'm so exhausted today. I feel completely drained. Maybe it was the 5 classes I taught. Maybe its the heat. But man..I feel like a mess.
Dexter OUT
I also don't understand why I'm so exhausted today. I feel completely drained. Maybe it was the 5 classes I taught. Maybe its the heat. But man..I feel like a mess.
Dexter OUT
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Musicians, man..
Today was the BBQ for the band I'm in. It was awesome. I forgot to charge my camera battery, so I couldn't take pictures. I'm sorry. But it was a great day. I got to hang out with everyone in a very relaxed setting, instead of a rehearsal. One of the trumpet players has a son, and he brought him to the BBQ today. And once the kid got over being scared of me, he went straight for my junk. Apparently, it's just what kids in Japan do. The kids at my wednesday school figured out I had a giant behind this past week. They were all tugging and pulling at me so I wouldn't go back inside. And elementary kids, for the most part, are groin/behind height. I try my best to keep them from being all up in my business, but that just means my behind is exposed. And Japanese parents/teachers think this behavior is totally acceptable and just laugh about it. Kind of weird, but oh well.
Yesterday, some of the kids from my elementary school followed me home. I was just minding my business at the park, and they saw me. I said hello and did the whole thing where I'm happy to see them and encourgae them to speak in English. Then we said our goodbye's and I left. Yeah, apparently goodbye wasnt enough for them. So they silently stalked me. Once the figured out which house I was in(I pulled my laundry down) they all started screaming "HI, D SENSEI!!!!!" So that will be interesting.
All in all, I'm glad this week is over. I had to teach a lesson that I really don't like all week. Made it kind of annoying. Plus, I was dropping fail bombs all over the place. If I had failed any harder this week, I'm sure one of the teachers/students would have noticed. But luck being on my side, I failed just enough to still provide a polished product. w00t.
So at the BBQ, I learned some tokai(the city) musician slang. It was cool. And everyone tried their best to make me feel welcome. And to make sure I was well fed. I ate. so. much. Not that I am complaining. I love to eat. But every time I finished a plate of food, they would order me another one. It was chotto ridiculous. Also they kept feeding me alcohol. I guess they just wanted to see what would happen. Luckily, I spent the last 9 years in Tallahassee. Japanese band members have got NOTHING on fsu drunken shennanigans. However, the alcohol limit in Japan is 0%. If you have a beer, you are drunk, and cannot drive. But there is a service called Daiko where two people show up to where you are, drive you to your card(if it is parked a ways away) and then drive you, and your car, home. So that was plan for today, But Miyagi San had my back. He didn't drink today, and then had his daughter follow him as he drove me and my car back to my house. It was fantastic.
Dexter OUT!
Yesterday, some of the kids from my elementary school followed me home. I was just minding my business at the park, and they saw me. I said hello and did the whole thing where I'm happy to see them and encourgae them to speak in English. Then we said our goodbye's and I left. Yeah, apparently goodbye wasnt enough for them. So they silently stalked me. Once the figured out which house I was in(I pulled my laundry down) they all started screaming "HI, D SENSEI!!!!!" So that will be interesting.
All in all, I'm glad this week is over. I had to teach a lesson that I really don't like all week. Made it kind of annoying. Plus, I was dropping fail bombs all over the place. If I had failed any harder this week, I'm sure one of the teachers/students would have noticed. But luck being on my side, I failed just enough to still provide a polished product. w00t.
So at the BBQ, I learned some tokai(the city) musician slang. It was cool. And everyone tried their best to make me feel welcome. And to make sure I was well fed. I ate. so. much. Not that I am complaining. I love to eat. But every time I finished a plate of food, they would order me another one. It was chotto ridiculous. Also they kept feeding me alcohol. I guess they just wanted to see what would happen. Luckily, I spent the last 9 years in Tallahassee. Japanese band members have got NOTHING on fsu drunken shennanigans. However, the alcohol limit in Japan is 0%. If you have a beer, you are drunk, and cannot drive. But there is a service called Daiko where two people show up to where you are, drive you to your card(if it is parked a ways away) and then drive you, and your car, home. So that was plan for today, But Miyagi San had my back. He didn't drink today, and then had his daughter follow him as he drove me and my car back to my house. It was fantastic.
Dexter OUT!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
3rd Graders
They are an intense bunch. I don't think they have a volume filter. One boy was literally screaming himself hoarse. I tried to tone the volume down, and it worked for maybe two seconds. Then they were back full blast. But at least they were participating.
I found out at the end of the day yesterday, that I wouldn't be teaching my normal classes today. The 6th graders had a field day? So they didn't have time for English. So as I was heading out, the Head English Teacher said, "Hey. Please introduce yourself tomorrow. No 6th graders. Just 3rd grade." So I got to do my intro lesson again, which is cool because it's awesome. And I think I'm doing it again tomorrow and thursday, and will probably end up doing it friday, too. I'm just gonna keep my intro stuff on me at all times. To prevent any sneak attacks.
I made a little boy cry today. I didn't mean to. I was doing with thing with the flash cards, and he REALLY wanted to be the first one to see what I was hiding. But...so did everyone else. And I just didn't happen to choose him. When I got back to the front of the classroom, he had his face buried in his arms. I thought he was just tired and done paying attention to me. But when the teacher went over to him, he sat up and I could see that he was crying his little heart out. And I felt awful. And it was the last flashcard, so I couldn't help him. It was the worst. I made it all better with a couple of high fives at the end of class. I fought my way back there, through the grasping hands of all the other kids, and gave him two high fives and a high ten. And no one else got any. And he was ok after that.
Work is good. For the most part. I really dont like the way the book wants me to teach. It's weird. But I don't really have a choice.
I found out at the end of the day yesterday, that I wouldn't be teaching my normal classes today. The 6th graders had a field day? So they didn't have time for English. So as I was heading out, the Head English Teacher said, "Hey. Please introduce yourself tomorrow. No 6th graders. Just 3rd grade." So I got to do my intro lesson again, which is cool because it's awesome. And I think I'm doing it again tomorrow and thursday, and will probably end up doing it friday, too. I'm just gonna keep my intro stuff on me at all times. To prevent any sneak attacks.
I made a little boy cry today. I didn't mean to. I was doing with thing with the flash cards, and he REALLY wanted to be the first one to see what I was hiding. But...so did everyone else. And I just didn't happen to choose him. When I got back to the front of the classroom, he had his face buried in his arms. I thought he was just tired and done paying attention to me. But when the teacher went over to him, he sat up and I could see that he was crying his little heart out. And I felt awful. And it was the last flashcard, so I couldn't help him. It was the worst. I made it all better with a couple of high fives at the end of class. I fought my way back there, through the grasping hands of all the other kids, and gave him two high fives and a high ten. And no one else got any. And he was ok after that.
Work is good. For the most part. I really dont like the way the book wants me to teach. It's weird. But I don't really have a choice.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
The future’s so
uncertain
For every step we
take
Every good decision
And every last
mistake
Will alter where we’re
headed
And change the
things we see
Pervert the things
we hope for
And change who we
will be
The past is full of
questions
For everything is
done
Nothing can be
altered
The wheel of fate
has spun
It beckons us to
wonder
To worry, doubt, and
blame
If everything was
different
Would it be the
same?
The present’s ever
fleeting
Fading to the past
Running like a river
Knowing it won’t
last
Racing to the future
Flying towards a
star
Reflections in a
mirror
Showing who you are
Lost inside a
lifetime
Struggling to get by
I look inside and
wonder
Who and what am I?
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Gold Week
Started off the best way possible. No work on Monday. Not that I mind my job, but a three day weekend is always nice. Then tuesday rolled around, and the day began with astounding promise. "You are such a good teacher. We love you." Those were the words of my head English teacher as she shook my hand. I had just explained my lesson plan for the sixth graders to her, and she thanked me, and then ran off to make copies. It feels good to have my work and ideas appreciated.
The lesson itself was pretty ok. It wasn't as fun as the first one, but the kids and I had a good time. Its challenging. The book I ave has no instructions, the book the teachers have have instructions exclusively in Japanese, and the lesson plan from my company has lesson guidelines that don't line up with the book...so......
I make up stuff that I think is relevant, and hope the teachers don't get mad.
Tuesday, I took a trip back to Mito, where I had done some extra training. It was nice to see the office staff again. They are a nice bunch of folks, and I got to congratulate of one them on his recent wedding. So huzzah. Then I ran into a Joshua, the head trainer from our branch. I told him that I was really grateful for what he taught me, and that I was using it in my lessons in every class. He was happy to hear it.
Yesterday was kind of tough. First real complaint about one of my school. It was f%#*ing hot. I was suffering. And there was simply nothing I could do about it. Except drink butt loads of water in between my classes. Also, I got to make a broadcast over the PA system to the entire school. They took a picture of me, blew it up, and then hung one in every classroom. So then I introduced myself in English and in Japanese, so that all the kids and teachers would be familiar and hopefully talk to me.
Teaching is great and all, and it makes me really happy, but what really sells me on this job is the communication I'm getting from all of the kids. They ALL want to talk to me. And it's awesome. They kids clean the school on a regular basis, and I've helped a couple of times. At Sotono, there are these 2nd graders who have called dibs on me during cleaning time. The first week, I just ran into them. This week, the sought me out, and took me to the stairs to sweep. And tied my handkerchief to my head. And asked me a million questions that I just didn't have the answer to. So if I ever got too confused, I just made a goofy face, and they laughed and asked a different one. Then on wednesday, I went with the VP to sweep the gym. And the whole way there I was assailed by "hello's" and "how are you's?" And the VP thought it was awesome.
So, back to teaching. I added an extra level of challenge to the memory game I call "Wipeout." After the board was clear, I had the students replace the flash cards one by one, just for extra association practice. On tuesday, it was fine. All four classes had no problem. On wed.....well, my special ones had other plans. First of all, I was ecstatic that they volunteered to help me. I'm really glad I am able to reach them. And second, I was super excited that one of them doesn't run and hide from me anymore. So I call one of them up to put the card back on the board. The one who wont stop talking. He was just supposed to put the card back on the board. He has other plans. He turns to the class and starts drilling them on the vocabulary, basically playing his own game of wipeout. And he flips the flashcard around using "flashcard magic" so they can't actually see what it is. Eventually, he puts the card on the board and takes his seat. To my astonishment, the next kid to volunteer was the one who last week hid behind his teacher. And he does the same thing. Runs the class through the words before he puts his card away. It was glorious.
5th graders needed to become accustomed to the phrases "hello, my name is, whats your name, nice to meet you." So I did a chant that went over really well, and also let me hear the students names again. It was awesome. Also.....I got to use Naruto and my ninja ducks, Polo, Paco, and Pablo. For those of you who may not know, Pepe has suffered an unknown fate. I miss him. Either way, the kids had a blast using the words they were supposed to learn. I count it as a win. Screw the book. I do what I want.......mostaly.
Last night we went out. Had fewer drinks than I had planned to, but didn't really seem like anyone really wanted to party hearty. Its a recurring trend here in Hitachinaka, but I'm coping the best I can. And also, Thursday and Friday are holidays. Gold week for the win. That's right. A two day work week, right after a three day weekend, followed by a four day weekend. Nice. Dexter OUT!
The lesson itself was pretty ok. It wasn't as fun as the first one, but the kids and I had a good time. Its challenging. The book I ave has no instructions, the book the teachers have have instructions exclusively in Japanese, and the lesson plan from my company has lesson guidelines that don't line up with the book...so......
I make up stuff that I think is relevant, and hope the teachers don't get mad.
Tuesday, I took a trip back to Mito, where I had done some extra training. It was nice to see the office staff again. They are a nice bunch of folks, and I got to congratulate of one them on his recent wedding. So huzzah. Then I ran into a Joshua, the head trainer from our branch. I told him that I was really grateful for what he taught me, and that I was using it in my lessons in every class. He was happy to hear it.
Yesterday was kind of tough. First real complaint about one of my school. It was f%#*ing hot. I was suffering. And there was simply nothing I could do about it. Except drink butt loads of water in between my classes. Also, I got to make a broadcast over the PA system to the entire school. They took a picture of me, blew it up, and then hung one in every classroom. So then I introduced myself in English and in Japanese, so that all the kids and teachers would be familiar and hopefully talk to me.
Teaching is great and all, and it makes me really happy, but what really sells me on this job is the communication I'm getting from all of the kids. They ALL want to talk to me. And it's awesome. They kids clean the school on a regular basis, and I've helped a couple of times. At Sotono, there are these 2nd graders who have called dibs on me during cleaning time. The first week, I just ran into them. This week, the sought me out, and took me to the stairs to sweep. And tied my handkerchief to my head. And asked me a million questions that I just didn't have the answer to. So if I ever got too confused, I just made a goofy face, and they laughed and asked a different one. Then on wednesday, I went with the VP to sweep the gym. And the whole way there I was assailed by "hello's" and "how are you's?" And the VP thought it was awesome.
So, back to teaching. I added an extra level of challenge to the memory game I call "Wipeout." After the board was clear, I had the students replace the flash cards one by one, just for extra association practice. On tuesday, it was fine. All four classes had no problem. On wed.....well, my special ones had other plans. First of all, I was ecstatic that they volunteered to help me. I'm really glad I am able to reach them. And second, I was super excited that one of them doesn't run and hide from me anymore. So I call one of them up to put the card back on the board. The one who wont stop talking. He was just supposed to put the card back on the board. He has other plans. He turns to the class and starts drilling them on the vocabulary, basically playing his own game of wipeout. And he flips the flashcard around using "flashcard magic" so they can't actually see what it is. Eventually, he puts the card on the board and takes his seat. To my astonishment, the next kid to volunteer was the one who last week hid behind his teacher. And he does the same thing. Runs the class through the words before he puts his card away. It was glorious.
5th graders needed to become accustomed to the phrases "hello, my name is, whats your name, nice to meet you." So I did a chant that went over really well, and also let me hear the students names again. It was awesome. Also.....I got to use Naruto and my ninja ducks, Polo, Paco, and Pablo. For those of you who may not know, Pepe has suffered an unknown fate. I miss him. Either way, the kids had a blast using the words they were supposed to learn. I count it as a win. Screw the book. I do what I want.......mostaly.
Last night we went out. Had fewer drinks than I had planned to, but didn't really seem like anyone really wanted to party hearty. Its a recurring trend here in Hitachinaka, but I'm coping the best I can. And also, Thursday and Friday are holidays. Gold week for the win. That's right. A two day work week, right after a three day weekend, followed by a four day weekend. Nice. Dexter OUT!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Another successful day
I won't go on and on about how I'm doing the same thing well everyday. I just would be remiss if I didn't hi-light one of todays differentiating factors. 4th grades
Surprise! I had to teach 4th grade today. Which was cool. I did the same thing I did for the 5th and 6th graders, it just took longer, so we used fewer cards for Wipeout. But they are so. LOUD! They were SCREAMING at me the entire class period. It was intense. And the look on the 4th grade teacher's face was just like, "Yep. This is my life everyday. Deal with it." Not only that, but they were literally crawling over their desks to try to talk to me. And to touch my hands to try to get my attention.
And there was this one boy. Okay, so in my flash cards, I have one of a random Shiba Inu, which is the kind of dog I have, and I have one of Kiba, my dog. It just so happens that I am also in that picture holding her. It makes for some quick laughter when I'm showing them all my card. I pick a random student and point to me and say "Kiba jya naiyo!" and everyone laughs. And so at the board I point to the japanese dog and they all say "Shiba" and then I point to my dog and the all say "Kiba" because rhyming is fun. The end. But this guy. He decided "Eff, that noise. That is a picture of you" So everytime I pointed to Kiba he would scream "D sensei." And when no one else joined in, he just kept....getting....LOUDER. I have some fun rhythmically with the cards and get a nice little "Kiba! Shiba! Kiba! Shiba!" chant going on. But this guy, just kept screaming "D sensei!" And at the end of class, he started a chant "D sensei! Shiba! D sensei! Shiba!" I guess he wanted to make sure no one else was fooled. It was hilarious.
Also...I just remembered. I made friends with the kids with special needs at this school, too. After lunch, I was hanging out outside the teachers room, cuz I felt awkward sitting in there with nothing to do. And they all came up to me saying "Hello! Hi!" and the like. And they kept giving me high fives. It was awesome.
Also, some guy asked me if I ate poop. He thought it was hilarious. I pretended not to understand. So then he mimed it for me. And I just kept playing dumb. Cuz eff that. I'm not dignifying that question with an answer.
Surprise! I had to teach 4th grade today. Which was cool. I did the same thing I did for the 5th and 6th graders, it just took longer, so we used fewer cards for Wipeout. But they are so. LOUD! They were SCREAMING at me the entire class period. It was intense. And the look on the 4th grade teacher's face was just like, "Yep. This is my life everyday. Deal with it." Not only that, but they were literally crawling over their desks to try to talk to me. And to touch my hands to try to get my attention.
And there was this one boy. Okay, so in my flash cards, I have one of a random Shiba Inu, which is the kind of dog I have, and I have one of Kiba, my dog. It just so happens that I am also in that picture holding her. It makes for some quick laughter when I'm showing them all my card. I pick a random student and point to me and say "Kiba jya naiyo!" and everyone laughs. And so at the board I point to the japanese dog and they all say "Shiba" and then I point to my dog and the all say "Kiba" because rhyming is fun. The end. But this guy. He decided "Eff, that noise. That is a picture of you" So everytime I pointed to Kiba he would scream "D sensei." And when no one else joined in, he just kept....getting....LOUDER. I have some fun rhythmically with the cards and get a nice little "Kiba! Shiba! Kiba! Shiba!" chant going on. But this guy, just kept screaming "D sensei!" And at the end of class, he started a chant "D sensei! Shiba! D sensei! Shiba!" I guess he wanted to make sure no one else was fooled. It was hilarious.
Also...I just remembered. I made friends with the kids with special needs at this school, too. After lunch, I was hanging out outside the teachers room, cuz I felt awkward sitting in there with nothing to do. And they all came up to me saying "Hello! Hi!" and the like. And they kept giving me high fives. It was awesome.
Also, some guy asked me if I ate poop. He thought it was hilarious. I pretended not to understand. So then he mimed it for me. And I just kept playing dumb. Cuz eff that. I'm not dignifying that question with an answer.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
I don't know how...
but every day gets a little bit better. It's hard to believe. I had such a good day my first day. And then my second day was even better. I had heard tales that sixth graders were shy, but those tales were wrong. Not that I had to do much teeth pulling the first day, but the second day, the kids were raring to go. Maybe they talked about me, or maybe they are just really energetic kids, but I had a blast up there. It was a special day, because all of the teachers went to the students houses around 1. So I had all 4 of my classes back to back. It was awesome, and then it was over. I had the rest of the day to sit and think about my next lesson plan. So the Vice principal comes up to me with a bunch of craft stuff. And I think "Why would I want this?" So I just accepted it graciously. But as the lesson planning began to unfold, I found some uses for it. Made some numbers, printed out some pictures. And then eventually, I left. The teachers have all been super nice. Apparently, I'm adorable. The end. I can't fight it. The kids and the teachers alike keep calling me kawaii.(cute) Which is fine, I suppose, but dangit, I'm 27. Weird thing is, the teachers can't believe I'm that old, while the students can't believe I'm that young.
Today was a new day at a new school. It was made extra special by the children with autism who were in my class. The first one read to me. In the middle of my introduction. I was walking around greeting everyone hitori zutsu(1 by 1), and when I got to him, he was reading. At first I thought "rude." Then I said hello. He stood up, opened his book so I could see it, and for what must have been a full minute, read a few sentences here, flipped some pages, read a few sentences there...Then out of nowhere, he says "My name is nani nani(I dont remember cuz its hard to remember a million japanese names in a day). Nice to meet you" And then he sits down. And I'm like "got it." And moved on.
The next two were in my second class. They showed up late. I have no idea why, but I didn't stop to find out. I just kept going. The first one, kept trying to get my attention so he could greet me, and the second one ran. He had a big goofy grin on his face when he did it, but he ran, ducked behind the Japanese Teacher, got on his knees and covered his face. And I thought. "Okaaaaaay...." And the japanese teacher just smiled as I moved on. During the song, though, the child came out from behind the teacher and was clapping and singing along. He was off beat, but that's ok. I tend to not rely on my students to keep time for me. The teacher felt bad, though, and stuck his hands in between the students hands to dampen the sound.
Then I was back at the front of the class, working my way through my flashcards. And that's when I knew. Aspergers. The kid in the front row has Aspergers. Like, whoa. He WOULD NOT stop talking. To me. While I was trying to do my thing. But it was ok, because it was kind of a free for all of communication. I could tell eh was super excited about everything I was doing, and he made the class a lot of fun. He tried to cheat during rock, scissors, paper, but I called him out. (Made a shocked face, gestured towards him and said "bye-bye") And he knew he was caught so he sat.
Then I had a break before lunch. And I was feeling so good about my lessons, that when the VP of this school brought me markers, scissors, paper, and such, I was totally psyched to make stuff. Made an Alphabet chart, got my number cards finished, wrote out my plan for next week...I was on a roll. So much, in fact, that I worked right up until lunch. How did I know? Because the lunch lady showed up and all of my stuff was where the teachers were supposed to eat. Oops. I'm just saying, don't give me a space to work without telling me it's also where you eat. I won't know.
So I went to lunch with 6-1. Sixth graders, room 1. And guess where they sat me? Yup. The kid who won't stop talking. His support staff lady was there. She explained that he needed special help. I told her I knew, and that I had taken a class about it in college. She said "Sugoi." And he kept asking me questions. Mostly about dinosaurs, and where they are in the US. He likes the T-rex, and the Allosaurus. I like Anklyosaurus and Apatasaurus. He also likes sharks, but I told him I like whales more. And I also told him I liked dragons. He was super impressed that I knew what dragons were. For some reason.
And then, surprise. "D sensei( which everyone calls me. It's AWESOME!), we are having a combined 5th grade lesson." That means 60ish kids at once in the music room with no chairs. oh, boy. But it was fantastic. They were REALLY into my song, and really excited about Wipeout. Thats the name I just gave the game I play with flash cards. It's basically memory. I have flash cards up, I eventually take them down 1 by 1, but still have them say what was there when I point to the blank space. Also, I turned the words "cherry blossom" into a chant. And today, it evolved. I used to(meaning the two days Ive done this before) just have them say "cherry blossom" like the drums from the war chant. If, somehow, you don't know what that sounds like, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_vpfblTqng. If. So today it turned into "che-rry blo-ssom, che-rry blo-ssom, che-rry blo-ssom, rose!" And it was the best pet. For the DPS. And then my day was over. And still I can't believe how lucky I am to be here.
Today was a new day at a new school. It was made extra special by the children with autism who were in my class. The first one read to me. In the middle of my introduction. I was walking around greeting everyone hitori zutsu(1 by 1), and when I got to him, he was reading. At first I thought "rude." Then I said hello. He stood up, opened his book so I could see it, and for what must have been a full minute, read a few sentences here, flipped some pages, read a few sentences there...Then out of nowhere, he says "My name is nani nani(I dont remember cuz its hard to remember a million japanese names in a day). Nice to meet you" And then he sits down. And I'm like "got it." And moved on.
The next two were in my second class. They showed up late. I have no idea why, but I didn't stop to find out. I just kept going. The first one, kept trying to get my attention so he could greet me, and the second one ran. He had a big goofy grin on his face when he did it, but he ran, ducked behind the Japanese Teacher, got on his knees and covered his face. And I thought. "Okaaaaaay...." And the japanese teacher just smiled as I moved on. During the song, though, the child came out from behind the teacher and was clapping and singing along. He was off beat, but that's ok. I tend to not rely on my students to keep time for me. The teacher felt bad, though, and stuck his hands in between the students hands to dampen the sound.
Then I was back at the front of the class, working my way through my flashcards. And that's when I knew. Aspergers. The kid in the front row has Aspergers. Like, whoa. He WOULD NOT stop talking. To me. While I was trying to do my thing. But it was ok, because it was kind of a free for all of communication. I could tell eh was super excited about everything I was doing, and he made the class a lot of fun. He tried to cheat during rock, scissors, paper, but I called him out. (Made a shocked face, gestured towards him and said "bye-bye") And he knew he was caught so he sat.
Then I had a break before lunch. And I was feeling so good about my lessons, that when the VP of this school brought me markers, scissors, paper, and such, I was totally psyched to make stuff. Made an Alphabet chart, got my number cards finished, wrote out my plan for next week...I was on a roll. So much, in fact, that I worked right up until lunch. How did I know? Because the lunch lady showed up and all of my stuff was where the teachers were supposed to eat. Oops. I'm just saying, don't give me a space to work without telling me it's also where you eat. I won't know.
So I went to lunch with 6-1. Sixth graders, room 1. And guess where they sat me? Yup. The kid who won't stop talking. His support staff lady was there. She explained that he needed special help. I told her I knew, and that I had taken a class about it in college. She said "Sugoi." And he kept asking me questions. Mostly about dinosaurs, and where they are in the US. He likes the T-rex, and the Allosaurus. I like Anklyosaurus and Apatasaurus. He also likes sharks, but I told him I like whales more. And I also told him I liked dragons. He was super impressed that I knew what dragons were. For some reason.
And then, surprise. "D sensei( which everyone calls me. It's AWESOME!), we are having a combined 5th grade lesson." That means 60ish kids at once in the music room with no chairs. oh, boy. But it was fantastic. They were REALLY into my song, and really excited about Wipeout. Thats the name I just gave the game I play with flash cards. It's basically memory. I have flash cards up, I eventually take them down 1 by 1, but still have them say what was there when I point to the blank space. Also, I turned the words "cherry blossom" into a chant. And today, it evolved. I used to(meaning the two days Ive done this before) just have them say "cherry blossom" like the drums from the war chant. If, somehow, you don't know what that sounds like, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_vpfblTqng. If. So today it turned into "che-rry blo-ssom, che-rry blo-ssom, che-rry blo-ssom, rose!" And it was the best pet. For the DPS. And then my day was over. And still I can't believe how lucky I am to be here.
Monday, April 23, 2012
My first Day
Where do I begin? There's so much to say, but I don't want to ramble on like an incoherent druggie. But that's kind of how I feel. High on success.
This morning, I was fretting a little. And the more I sat in my apartment, the worse it got. So I said, "screw it" and went in at 8:00 instead of 8:30. Which is good, because the head teacher wanted me to introduce myself at 8:20. Lucky me. It was also cool, because of the BAJILLION elementary schoool kids who were arriving at the same time. They were very excited to see me. And it put me at ease. Cuz worst case scenario, even if I'm a bad teacher, the kids like me at least.
Everything was awesome. The teachers were really warm and receptive. I showed the head teacher my lesson plan, and she said it was really good, then made copies, and handed it out to all of the fifth grade teachers. So then off I went. Aside from a little girl crying when I said Hello, it went really well. I forgot to play Janken, which I was supposed to do to eat up some time and find someone to talk to, but it worked out in the end. The kids, for the most part, all really liked my song. Which made me happy. When they were walking me back to class, they kept singing it. And that's fine by me.
I taught for classes today. All the same lesson. And I will do the same tomorrow, and probably for the rest of the week. Which is fine, cuz it's an awesome lesson. *brushes shoulders off* So after the first time, not that I ever really get nervous, but all the reasons I had to be nervous were gone. I had affirmation that my lesson was solid, so I didn't need to worry anymore.
Lunch was great. I ate with my third class. All of the girls kept staring at me, and when I looked over, they would break out in hysterical giggling. So I rolled with it. Better than crying. And they would huddle into groups, and come up with a question, then force some poor soul to ask me. I tried to be warm and inviting, but I'm just too big for Japan. I bumped my head on a "doorway", my shoes don't fit in the locker, and the kids kept commenting on just how big I was.
After school, I went to watch the brass band rehearsal. Or I tried to anyways. The kids rehearse themselves when the teacher isnt present. Once they broke into sectionals, though, it was kind of game off. Some of them lingered in the main room and started asking questions, which led to a tour of all the rooms, which led to one of them seeing that I had big hands and feet, which led to a person by person comparison of EVERY person in the band. At that point, I decided to leave, lest absolutely nothing get accomplished.
The only bad thing is.....social fo paws. ( I have no idea how to spell faux paux?) I think I was good for most of the day, but I'm pretty sure I messed up when I was trying to leave. Unbeknownst to me, the teachers were having a meeting that I basically barged in upon. Then it was really awkward, and I don't knwo how to make it less awkward. So I tried to grab my stuff and leave, but without making too much noise, and eventually the head teacher came and said I was ok and that I could go.
All in all, today was awesome, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the year.
This morning, I was fretting a little. And the more I sat in my apartment, the worse it got. So I said, "screw it" and went in at 8:00 instead of 8:30. Which is good, because the head teacher wanted me to introduce myself at 8:20. Lucky me. It was also cool, because of the BAJILLION elementary schoool kids who were arriving at the same time. They were very excited to see me. And it put me at ease. Cuz worst case scenario, even if I'm a bad teacher, the kids like me at least.
Everything was awesome. The teachers were really warm and receptive. I showed the head teacher my lesson plan, and she said it was really good, then made copies, and handed it out to all of the fifth grade teachers. So then off I went. Aside from a little girl crying when I said Hello, it went really well. I forgot to play Janken, which I was supposed to do to eat up some time and find someone to talk to, but it worked out in the end. The kids, for the most part, all really liked my song. Which made me happy. When they were walking me back to class, they kept singing it. And that's fine by me.
I taught for classes today. All the same lesson. And I will do the same tomorrow, and probably for the rest of the week. Which is fine, cuz it's an awesome lesson. *brushes shoulders off* So after the first time, not that I ever really get nervous, but all the reasons I had to be nervous were gone. I had affirmation that my lesson was solid, so I didn't need to worry anymore.
Lunch was great. I ate with my third class. All of the girls kept staring at me, and when I looked over, they would break out in hysterical giggling. So I rolled with it. Better than crying. And they would huddle into groups, and come up with a question, then force some poor soul to ask me. I tried to be warm and inviting, but I'm just too big for Japan. I bumped my head on a "doorway", my shoes don't fit in the locker, and the kids kept commenting on just how big I was.
After school, I went to watch the brass band rehearsal. Or I tried to anyways. The kids rehearse themselves when the teacher isnt present. Once they broke into sectionals, though, it was kind of game off. Some of them lingered in the main room and started asking questions, which led to a tour of all the rooms, which led to one of them seeing that I had big hands and feet, which led to a person by person comparison of EVERY person in the band. At that point, I decided to leave, lest absolutely nothing get accomplished.
The only bad thing is.....social fo paws. ( I have no idea how to spell faux paux?) I think I was good for most of the day, but I'm pretty sure I messed up when I was trying to leave. Unbeknownst to me, the teachers were having a meeting that I basically barged in upon. Then it was really awkward, and I don't knwo how to make it less awkward. So I tried to grab my stuff and leave, but without making too much noise, and eventually the head teacher came and said I was ok and that I could go.
All in all, today was awesome, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the year.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
My life over the last two weeks
Sorry about the lack of updates, everyone, but a whole lot of nothing has been happening lately, and I'd rather not update than update meaningless one-liners that would be better posted on twitter. So I will try my best to make this as interesting as possible, and soon, will have many things to past about.
My start date got pushed back a full two weeks later than originally anticipated. I'm still getting paid(Can I get a "hell yeah?") We had two more days of training during that time. It was good and useful, but it's hard to retain all of the information when I don't get to put any of it into practice because I'm sitting in my apartment NOT teaching.
I like Hitachinaka. After the initial exploration adventure, nothing of that caliber has really happened again. A bunch of us did get together recently for a night out. We went to my first authentic ramen house. It was delicious, and we spent a few hours just talking and hanging out. Then, we hit up a karaoke bar. it is very different in japan. Instead of a noisy crowded bar where everyone sings in front of everyone, you and your friends cram into a room and sing in front of each other. it is fun, in its own way, but it isn't what I'm used to. Its a very tiny space, and I feel bad belting into the ear of the person next to me. But we had fun, and then called it a night.
I'm a potential member for the Brass band here. But I will be playing flute. Brass band is just a term they borrowed to use for ensemble. I think...I had my first rehearsal yesterday. I showed up late, because Aya, one of the coolest girls I've met here, decided I shouldn't show up by myself, and she didn't finish work until 730. And she was driving me. So we rolled up and then her Dad saw us and told the conductor I was there (The were expecting me) so I got on stage and joined them. It was refreshing. I was trying not to play too loud, but apparently the director could hear me, and told Aya that I was really good. Cuz in Japan, I don't think its ok for him to tell me himself. Anywho, I introduced myself in Japanese, and they were all impressed. And they all think I'm super kawaii(cute.) I DIDN'T MEANT TO BE! I just heard them all ooh-ing and aaah-ing about me speaking japanese, so I basically explained that I wasn't fluent, but I'd try my best. And I don't know. I said it cutely, I suppose?
I went to to all of my schools yesterday, too. It was awesome. My feet are too big for Japan. So my shoes don't fit in the cubby I'm supposed to use. So they had to assign me to a cubby that doesn't close....like an animal. But other than that, and the fact that I'm not a fast shoe changer, everything was awesome. One of the schools had my name written on the greeting board. It was adorable. And the kids...oh, the kids. Apparently, I'm sugoi and kakkoii. And everyone wanted to say "hi" and "bye" a bajillion times. And that's ok with me. But all of the girls were shy, and wouldn't talk to me unless they were in groups. The boys would straight up follow me and keep saying "hi." They were fearless. It was awesome. I'm excited about starting, and all of my co-teachers are excited that I speak japanese. I feel like they are going to come at me, bro. So I have a feeling there will be a lot of "Sumimasen ga, yukkuri hanashite kudasai" (I'm sorry, could you please speak slower?)
Also........A new fire emblem came out......so bye
Friday, April 6, 2012
JAAPAAAAAN!
Ok. Today was a super adventure that lasted all day. Jerome and I planned on going to the mega mall, Joyful Honda, today, just to scope it out. Then, Viren got in touch with us and we invited him along. And thus it all began.
First, I drove Kimi, my new car, to a gas station. I was getting close to empty, because why would they give me a car with a reasonable amount of gas in it? So the first one I see is a block from my house. Score. Good to know. I roll up, and the guy is directing me where to go. I'm like "Cool, cuz I have no idea which side of the car the gas thing is. Then I get out and explain that this is the first time Ive gotten gas, and that I just got the car yesterday. And he's like, "ok." He does unscrews the things, asks if unleaded is ok, I say yes, and then he starts gasing it up. And then he asks if I want to fill it up and I say sure. then eh starts washing my car and windows as we wait for the gas to be filled. Hell yeah.
So then I go to find Viren...who isn't very good at giving ladnmark directions, but since we have no idea what anything is called, we kind of have no choice. After some initial buffoonery, we get it figured out, and head over to pick up Jerome. We get there and he's not back from running errands with his IC. Which is cool cuz he told to wait 15 minutes, but we didnt have anywhere else to go. So he shows up and runs inside to drop off his stuff, so we start chatting it up with his IC, and she's like "omgyouspeaksuchgoodjapanese." And I'm like, "score!"
So we go to the mega mall, and its mega epic. We eat first, cuz we're all starving. Then we just wander around. Check out the movie theater, the home center shops, the clothing store, and spend some time in the pet store too. I saw a shiba...and he looked at me the same way Kiba does when she knows I'm not gonna play with her. And it almost broke my heart. So I had to run away.
Then we tried to join the mafia. Or at least board their ship. Let me explain: We found out that a very large mafia family is stationed in hitachinaka. Which makes all the pachinko places we pass seem a lot more shady... We wanted to see the coast. So we head towards it. We didnt want to go to the park, so we head for the port, thinking that wed be out by a dock and see some boats near the water. No biggie. We'll we end up on this road where there is no whre to turn around. And all of a sudden its a giant pier warehouse area. And I'm like "This is wrong." BUT THERE'S NO WHERE TO TURN AROUND! So we keep driving. Passing these men in masks waving cars in different directions. And I try to turn around but they wont let me. And eventually I get to the gate where you need a special access code or sticker or something that I didn't have. So I put on my "Bakagaijin" face (stupid foreigner face.) And I say "I just want to turn around." So this guy lets me do a u turn and leave. So then we try to go back the way we came, but the road makes a weird turn and we end up at some crazy construction site, and its a one way street. So we couldn't get out. I tried to sneak through part of the parking lot into somewhere else, but WE COULDN'T GET OUT. Eventually, we follow some angry looking lady, back the wrong way down the one way street, and make a quick turn to get on a side road that leads back to where we were trying to get in the first place. Then Viren pulls out his Gps, and we follow it to the beach. Hooray.
The beach was fun, but windy. The weather wasnt spectacular. I tagged the beach with my fraternity symbol though. It was really nostalgic. Well, the candidate class symbol, not the actual emblem of the frat. Eff that. Then we kept driving, taking a couple pictures as we went down windy narrow roads. We passed a couple of our schools, and eventually ended up back on what we call "Main street." its the street that leads away from the train station. Then we went in search of an arcade. And boy, was that harder than it needed to be. We kept getting directions, but they weren't very clear or specific, even when given by someone who speaks English as a first language. FINALLY, the lady at the supermarket was able, in japanese, to give us solid directions to the ARCADE/BOWLING ALLEY!!!! HELL YES!
During our search, we stopped for dinner at this place called The Drunken Duck. But since we're regulars now, we just call it,"the duck." And it was tasty. We watched some rugby, cuz some australian guy ran the joint.
There is this game at Japanese arcades. Its a rhythm game with TAIKO DRUMS! I rock at it, by the way. They had mario songs, naruto songs, other j-pop madness. It was so much fun. Jerome and Viren did some car racing, then we did some time crisis. We stopped by the liquor store, just to say we went. But 1 drink, and its illegal to drive in Japan. I am the only one with a car. So monday Viren will get his, and he doesnt drink, and he already down with the DD idea, so im sure things will work out fine.
Today was the best day. Strengthened some relationships, got to get some driving on the left side of the road practice in. Had a blast. I think I might like it here...
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Yep. Still have asthma
People with asthma shouldn't go running in cold typhoon winds. It gets dramatic very quickly. Its tragic, too, because the sun is beautiful. And the air isn't that cold. But when the wind is whipping it every which way, I just can't breathe.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
So I live in my new apartment now
I was heading out of the lobby today to go on a run. I just so happened to look up and see an unassuming japanese man holding a sign with the word "DEXTER" on it, in blue marker. I walked over and said hi. Lots of confused dialogue later, I found out that moving day was today, and that I had to check out of my hotel basically immediately....oops. So after a frantic ten minutes of hurried packing, I trampled(cuz I had a lot of cumbersome stuff) my way out of the hotel. Which, btw, I had really grown to love.
Then, it hit me. I'M MOVING IN TODAY! Aki san and I drove to the real estate agency and filled out the paper work. I mostly sat there pointing and agreeing until it was time for my hanko. For those of you who don't know, it's my official Japanese signature stamp. It reads "デクスター.” (Dexter). And then that was that. He handed me my key, we said our farewells, I made another good impression by using Japanese and we were on the road to Hitachinaka-shi. (Like viridian city, but with fewer pokemon.)
Got to my apartment, did a quick sweep of the place to make sure nothing was broken or damaged, and then went out shopping. Bought some stuff. Nothing to major. Just the essentials for tonight. Some provisions, some laundry detergent, some trash bags, a trash can. A place to hang my clothes. Tomorrow, I'm buying a microwave, some utensils, and anything else I can think of. Hopefully a cell phone, too, if time permits. If not, I will take care of it in Mito on wed, because I have to go back to try to set up my own internet. I'm borrowing someone's internet right now, but it says guest, so I don't feel too bad.
So...yeah. I live in my apartment now. It's cozy. I'd post the pictures I took, but only just now do I realize that I left the thingy that connects my computer to my camera back in the hotel. Sigh. Maybe they still have it?
Ok. If you're in a brand new city for the first time, in a country that you just moved to two weeks ago, and you aren't fluent in the language, and you have no idea where you're going, and you don't have a cell phone, or know anyone's phone number, DO NOT go wandering into the night to try and fight your way to a station you've never been to before, in hopes of taking a train back to a city you just moved out of, to see if MAYBE the hotel found your stuff. It's a BAD IDEA.....so anyways, they totally did, so here are pictures.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Things
After another week of training, I'm feeling good about whats in store for me. I'm ready to start. A few more logistical things to work out, and then I'm on my way. I'm in a hotel in Mito right now, waiting for my new apartment to be ready. It's close to the train station, which is good, and also close to 3 out of 4 schools. So I will only have to drive 1 day out of the week. It shall be named "Driving Thursday," and I will attempt to run all of my errands on that day.
This past week has been fun. I made a friend. A good friend. It made exploring the city a lot more fun, and helped make the training more bearable. I've gotten to speak so much japanese. It's been incredible. And a lot of the people here, Japanese or not, have been really impressed by it. I've been getting used to the customs around here, and I think I'm assimilating well.
So, yeah. Four elementary schools. I'm pretty stoked. To be honest, I was terrified of getting placed in Junior High Schools. I just don't know what to do with that age group. Yesterday, my Branch manager pulled me aside, and kind of spilled the beans about where I was being placed. She told me about how she had heard great things about me from Cedric, Mr. Knight, Kevin, and some of the other trainers who saw my demo lesson last week. They said she was lucky to have me. And she said she was glad.
She introduced me to a woman who has a son at one of the schools where I will be teaching. And we talked about my experiences in Japan, and DBZ, and music. Then I got invited to dinner. It was weird. Even though this woman works at the branch that hired me, I feel like I was being treated with the honor of a sensei. I dunno.
I'm really happy right now.
Rock the house
Today might have been the most succesfull day of my life. Today was the day everyone knew was coming. Final evaluations.
We were to prepare a lesson for our first day of class in a new school. 15 minutes of it, anyways. Greeeting, Presentation, and Closing. Yesterday, I taught a very successful dialogue, so I thought to do it again. I challenged myself to make it appropriate for elementary school, since yesterday was junior high, and I will be teaching both. I was determined not to follow the exact formula written in the book. I'm a musician first and foremost, so I WAS going to use my guitar. And I decided to weave the parts of my lesson into one seamless flow of communication. I decided that since I was greeting them today, my target would be teaching a greeting. So I did.
My final evaluation was only ok. I felt cheated, because the people in my group weren't helping me out. They weren't paying attention, and it screwed me up. Won't bore you with the details. I gave myself a B, because it just wasn't as good as yesterday.
Well,after everything was over, we all met up and consolidated. And surprise, they had a "best of the best" demo. And each facilitator (person who evaluated the groups) dropped a name in a box.....Crap, I thought. Guess who was the first person out of the box.....yeah. This guy.
And so I went up again...in front of EVERYONE. Not only every facilitator, teacher, every other Alt(like me), but branch member representatives from around the country, and the behind the scenes recruitors. And sweet leaping monkey bastards, I was glorious.
Everything went "perfectly." And when I screwed up, I made it look like part of the lesson. I was able to adapt on my toes, I was able to engage everyone in my class. And they were paying attention, so I got to do everything I planned. And then I taught them my song. MY song. No stolen lyrics. No borrowed nursury rhyme melody with new words. A Dexter O'neal Davison II original work. Not only did I have my class singing, the entire room...ahem, THE ENTIRE ROOM OF 300+ people sang my song with me. And I felt this cathartic moment of jubilant freedom. And then I just let it all go for one more round of my song. My song, btw.
And then, before I could even finish my Lesson, the entire room gave me a standing ovation. So I took what I had learned about noisy classroom control and got them all to sit down, so I could finish. And if my kids at the real school, say "No, don't go" with as much sincerity as the other teachers faking it said it.....I think I might not be able to stop. I almost cried. So then I did my exit and went back to my seat.
And Mike, the head trainer said, "Dexter, come back up here." I did. "Take a bow." I did and I got standing ovation number 2.
Then after the whole lesson was over, I was swarmed by people calling me "Champion," which is what we use for winner. And branch officers came up to me to say that my branch was lucky to have me, and that if I ever wanted to switch locations, to let them know. And I was told that I moved Mike, my head teacher to tears. It was euphoric, and I can't believe that it happened. I never thought I would feel this way again. It's the rush I feel after a performance. And I havent felt it in about a year, since my last steel drums concert. It was the best pet. For the DPS.
Here we go
So, super-scary-makes-dr-cox-look-friendly trainer has everyone cowering in fear for a few days guy. His name is Cedric. And I have no flight response. So we're training and training and fretting and stressing under not only bombardment, but double bombardment. And things aren't sinking in and we're rushing and everything is terrible. And then every time Cedric comes in the room, pulls names out of a box, brings the unlucky victim to the front of the room of 270 people and says, "Teach." And he isn't easy. He cuts you off, and asks, "What are you doing? Why would you do that?, etc." It has everyone dreading every moment he is around.
So today at the closing session, I was just like, "FUCK IT!" He pulled out a name and tortured victim number one. Then I stood up from the very farthest corner of the room(I should have seen this coming. He's at the north west side of the room and I'm at the south easternmost corner.) and said "Cedric." And in total anime fashion, I totally saw every body in the room turn and stare and I said "I would like to go." And then I did. And I was all like "KEE-YAH BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!" I owned that room. Everyone was up, and smiling, and having a good time. And then it was over. And I had a rousing round of appluase and was stopped and congratulated all the way back to my seat by all of the trainers and recruiters from around the country. And then I got back to my seat and Cedric says, "Where do you think you are going?" And I'm like fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck! So I run all the way back up there. And he shook my hand, and told me I had "it." And then he said "And we have something in common. You're a musician, right."
Apparently it shows. Apparently its a universal language. Boomski.
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