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.