Yuki is here!

Yuki's arrival

Yuki's arrival went very smoothly. His plane was even 20 minutes early and it took him only 30 minutes from the time the plane landed, to get through customs, get bags and meet me. Japan is so efficient. We were hungry when we got back to Fukui (maybe 9 a.m. Toledo time/11:00 p.m. Fukui time) and went to this portable ramen shop that is sometimes set up near the station. We took a taxi home. Yuki seems to be adjusting to the time difference very well because he kept up and stayed awake for the busy weekend.

Tojimbo Cliffs

On Saturday I met with one of my JTE's and one of his friends who wanted to "meet foreigners" at Starbucks (I think it is the only one in Fukui). I tried a matcha (green tea) frappacino. Good stuff. The girl ended up being really kewl, my age and we plan to hang out again. I was asking them places they would recommend that we visit and it ended up in actually going to one of them that day. We visited Tojimbo Cliffs...cliffs overlooking the ocean...and we went during the sunset. A must see in Fukui. Fukui is underrated. Many Japanese have never been here and many foreigners don't plan to visit here... but there is so much to see!

Host Family

We met with our host family again on Saturday at a local festival. Our host mother took us back to her house...3 stories I might add (this is HUGE for a Japanese house). With buttons in the bathroom that you can use to control the toilet cover! And we took a ride in their Mercedes Benz van to visit some local popular places...waterfalls and a reconstructed samurai village. The family is banking...but they are still very modest, humble and so welcoming. I still haven't met the father...I think he works a lot. The kids are a lot of fun. The girl is willing to try out English and teach Japanese. The 3 year old boy is tons of energy.

School

Yuki has come to school yesterday and today with me and helped me with classes, met students, etc. It has been great to have him here and I think many of the girls are quite taken with him. Yuki is very observant...and makes me think about differences that to me now seem like normal. For example, their school lunch here is better than Japanese food back home! I am getting in the swing of how to teach English classes here and adjusting to working with 10 different teachers. The first class sometimes goes crazy but I always have 8 more tries. It is interesting that each class has different characteristics based on how the teacher runs and interacts with the class. I am excited because I found out now that I have 10 minutes of each class to play a game or activity...instead of only teaching from the textbook. I am trying to start learning Japanese by listening to the translations the teacher gives and asking students how to say our vocabulary in Japanese.

Outside of school

Yuki and I went on a price comparison shopping trip yesterday...and found out produce is expensive everywhere! For example, we saw two pears for 398 yen. Tonight I have Japanese class and haven't studied in two weeks...whoops. Yuki will start aikido tonight.

Getting into the swing of things...

This past weekend...
was so much fun. It started out with a JET P themed party where you wear something that starts with the letter P and bring something that starts with the letter P. I wore pajamas and brought these pea snacks (that I have to find once I get back to the States). ;-) On Saturday a group of us went to an event called Irie 365 - Reggae Bash. It was all these Japanese people representing Jamaica...very interesting but fun. My favorite artist was Sing J Roy who sings this song "Jamaica is island..." Us English teachers had to discuss that the article was omitted in that sentence...but it is a good song and we met him informally afterwards. There was a lot of interesting outfits at the bash. Anyways, afterwards a few of us went to a salsa dance (at the same place I take hip hop)...there was a lot of Japanese men moving their hips. And to think someone once told me that Japanese people can't dance! It was a lot of fun. They mostly played salsa, but a little bachata and merengue too. And on Sunday I met my host mom and her children. She was a very not stereotypical Japanese lady. She came up to me, was very excited and even gave me a hug! Her kids are 3 and 9 and have lots of energy so this should be fun!


School
So we are in the 4th official week of school and 3rd week of classes. I am getting in the swing of the schedule. The schedule that I am given changes often so for my sanity I am glad I am flexible. I have been lucky because each week we've had some sort of holiday or day off and so I am getting used to four day weeks...but need to prepare for five day weeks coming up...with days with four classes in a row. It will be exhausting. I am a little frustrated because we are so tied to lesson planning from the textbook and sometimes I feel like a human tape recorder. I am trying to find ways/activities that could be interesting to the students but that also fulfill the objectives that the teachers want (to prepare students for the college examination tests). This experience is making me really look forward to having my own classroom where I could adapt the content to student interests.

Autumnal Equinox Day
So, one of our holidays was yesterday...randomly in the middle of the week. It was nice to catch up on sleep and visit some friends in the southern towns of Sabae and Takefu. They took me to Tom's toast...this awesome restaurant with huge bread! (I had red bean paste and ice cream) and we also went to the coast. The weather is getting cooler...so I am glad we made it out there before it gets too cold.

Yuki's arrival
Yuki comes tomorrow and I am so excited. I will have to hold back my excitement of wanting to show him everything so he can rest/sleep from the jet lag. It will be nice to share this experience with him and even nicer when Maya comes and we are all together. My mom will come later in the year which I am looking forward to!

Using Japanese

my new candy supply a view from Itagaki bridge

In General: I am still settling in and getting into the routine.

Speaking Japanese with non-native speakers: In my Japanese class it is interesting because there are people from all around the world who speak many different languages... all there to learn Japanese. So, unlike my Olaf Japanese classes where I could rely on English to communicate with my classmates or clarify a concept, English doesn't always help. This week I was sitting by Chinese speakers so we were able to communicate a little...if we want to communicate, it sure forces us to speak Japanese. I have, however, befriended two people from the Phillippines who I can speak English with if need be. By the way, I bought a notebook from the dollar store (hyaku yen) store for my Japanese studies and on the front says: "many happy returns...Themselves happy, they made the others, too" and on the inside it says on every page..."happy as a pig in shit.." with hearts and a bow. Got to love Engrish!

Using Japanese everyday: I have found that now, instead of going into stores/places and immediately saying "Nihongo ga hanasemasen" (I don't speak Japanese)...I go in and try to speak Japanese and if I don't understand what they say I say, "Sukoshi Nihongo ga wakarimasu" (I understand a little bit of Japanese). I think that this is a little more positive way to look at it then how I was doing it before. This week I used Japanese at the post office...it is strange...sometimes it is cheaper AND faster to send a package under a certain category (small package, for example) than other methods...hmm. I also used a little Japanese to get a points card at the local grocery store, Hearts (with the help of a teacher at school who filled out the application for me).

Japanese TV: I know this is a small world view but I am always surprised when there is a non-Japanese person on tv speaking fluent Japanese. This usually happens with artists on the music channel...and espcially these VJ's on Space Shower TV. I know people can speak many languages and grow up anywhere...but for some reason it surprises me every time. In any other country I don't think that this would suprise me but maybe it is because I had always heard that Japan is so homogenous. http://www.spaceshowertv.com/transporter/vj.html

School: Yay! I am half way through my self introductions! Only 9 more to go! I really have to figure out how to adapt the presentation so I don't lose interest myself ;-) I am getting tired of hearing myself talk about myself. Each class has their own personality and response to my presentation. This week I taught ni-nenseii's (second years - equivalent of Juniors/11th grade in the States) for the first time. I tried to adapt to their level by providing a harder worksheet and speaking a little faster. I had to refill my candy supply (I brought some from the states and it is all gone). 9 lessons of the same lesson (9 per grade) will really let me figure out what works and what doesn't and to improve each time (hopefully).

Getting connected: A girl I met told me about Vonage, a digital phone service where I can have a US number and pay a set fee every month. It requires an internet connection...which I am trying to set up. There are English languages services...but I still don't understand b/c of the technical lingo. I don't know what I would do if it was all in Japanese!


Woo hoo: I am super excited...Yuki is coming next week!!!

a busy weekend...from enkais to obama

After school on Friday (I have a half day, I get off at one) I went shopping at UNIQLO. Other JETs have told me that is a store for "big girls"... in other words they have western sized clothes. I have done a lot of window shopping since I have been here and some of the boutiques/shops have nothing that would fit me. So I was very excited. I went a little crazy and spent 10000 Yen...let's just say around 100 USD. But I got 9 shirts and 5 pairs of pants so I was also excited because not only could I fit the clothes but could afford them as well ;-)

Friday night was our enkai or teacher/staff party. We had it in a fancy European style room in a local hotel. It started out very formal with some speeches (including a brief one in Japanese by me) and then the kampai (cheers) to me ;-), the new ALT. Then many dishes were brought out...some new but all delicious. I had to ask how to eat some of the things correctly, like shrimp and oysters with chopsticks. Many of the teachers and staff came and talked to me which was nice because usually in school we don't have time for that. People would go around (this was the more informal part) and if someone even took one sip of beer, or whatever they happened to be drinking (I was drinking tea), they would refill their cup so in actuality I think no one had any idea how much they were drinking. So after the food and drink and socializing there were another round of speeches... it was pretty funny (even though I don't know what they were saying in their speeches) because even though I couldn't understand what they were saying they were fumbling over their words, had red faces and glazed over eyes. It was nice to see these teachers/staff can have fun after all their hard work.

After, a few people decided to continue the evenings festivities so I decided against being antisocial and went along. I said that I would like to sing karaoke sometime so they said we would go that night. So we walked in to this small bar which sits probably around 16 people. It didn't look like the karaoke rooms that I had been to my last time in Japan. Some girls came to sit with us so I just assumed that they were girlfriends/wives of the male teachers. They weren't introduced to me which I thought was a little strange. When other men entered the bar, however, the women got up to serve them so then I figured that this was one of the hostess bars that I had heard about. The customers pay for the woman to sit with them, entertain them and serve them (fill their cup, wipe off the water droplets on their cup, sing karaoke with them, conversate, etc.). To me, it seemed like modern day geishas. It was definitely an experience, but I wouldn't go back. We did end up singing some karaoke...I sang a bunch of my favorite songs in English.

Saturday morning I went on a mini BEE ride. There are a group of former JETs who are biking the whole length of Japan! So a few of us local Fukui people biked with them for about 15 kilometers to a local park. It was nice but I was out of shape and my bike had one gear. They were patient with me and slowed down for me.

I went to the local international center where a very kind woman has been helping me in the search for Papa. She gave me a copy of my koseki (family registry) and his koseki which has his most current listed address. Also, there are no other kids listed. So from what I can tell he now lives near Tokyo and has no other children. The lady said those papers were very important because it proves we are the legal heirs if something happens to him and she suggested we visit his family in Kagawa ken. I will wait til Yuki gets here to decide the next step. (Yuki should arrive in two weeks! Yay!)

That afternoon my friend Natasha and I jumped on a train to Obama City (southern part of Fukui) to go to their annual Hoze festival. In a description on-line it said it comes from the Hojoe ceremony at Yawata shrine. "The main purpose of the ‘Hojoe’ ceremony is to earn merits by freeing captured animals and to preach against the destroying of life, in accordance with ancient Chinese manuscripts." http://www.fuku-e.com/lang/english/en/en_festival1.html

There were many portable shrines being marched down the streets of Obama with people playing instruments and people pulling them. It is quite amazing because they are huge and so heavy with all the people on them! There was a lot of activity going on at the shrine. I believe people were paying their respects. There were performances...one in particular where it told of an epic battle between two guys for a woman. They did a dance/drum type performance with and it was with their faces covered! Also the people providing the musical accompaniment had their faces covered too...they were playing flutes. I wouldn't have known the background of the performance but I asked a local woman who explained to us (in English). Japanese people seem to be very proud of their culture and willing to share.

There was tons of good food. I don't even know what some of it was but I tried tako yaki...these fried octopus things and the crepes were awesome! (creme, fruit, chocolate and ice cream). And these one things on a stick (the outside was like a crepe, had vegetables inside, and sauce and bonito (dried fish flakes) on the outside)...very good, very Japanese. I know I said this before, but the MN State Fair needs to get hip to all this Japanese food on a stick.

Obama is on the Sea of Japan so it was quite beautiful as well...lots of mountains and water. So sometimes we would leave the festival to check out the great view. There was even some random Japanese guys on jet skis so one of my friends took a ride. Every day is an adventure!

Obama City has pics of Obama (Barack Obama) all over their city...with banners and signs. There is even a group called Obama for Obama that supports Barack Obama as the presidential candidate for the U.S. It is so random but so awesome. I had to buy a shirt... and a head band.

Today is Respect for the Aged Day... a national holiday. I am not sure what happens on this day but I do have work off. Some other teachers are here again on a day off!

the first days of classes...

These are posters that students in the ESS club made. Also, the classroom where I teach oral communication and the view from one of the windows in that room.


So...the main purpose of me to be in Japan and on the JET Program is not to travel around Japan, get involved in after school activities, learn Japanese and have exciting adventures (although that definitely is part of it which I enjoy very much) but to teach English and get students excited about English. So this week I got to start that ;-) Or attempt to at least.

Yesterday I had two classes and today I had one (so far they were all first year classes - the U.S. equivalent of sophomores). Next week I will start seeing the second years or ni-nenseii's. For the first lesson I do a self-introduction lesson. I have a powerpoint presentation with LOTS of pics and information about me, the US and family. The students fill in a worksheet to check their comprehension. Then they fill in a notecard to give me information about themselves. Little do they know that those will be used throughout the year to call on students randomly (equal opportunity... he he).

The room where I present is the LL room and very hot! Before the first class I was nervous so I was sweaty anyway and add the heat of the room and it was torture. After the class I realized the front window wasn't open...each class gets better though and I learn better ways to do things. I guess that is what good teaching is about...trial and error and always improving. For example, when I gave the notecard assignment the first time I discussed it briefly and many students completed the task differently than I had envisioned. Well the projector wasn't working today so I decided to go over the assignment as a class and that way made a lot more sense. Another good trait to have as a teacher...flexibility. Because the lesson will probably never go exactly as planned. Although the activities in the lesson have been going relatively smoothly and fit into the alloted class time.

I gave out stickers to students who answered questions to encourage them to raise their hand and answer a question in English (they aren't as shy as we were told but they are sure shyer in English class than they were on sports day and at the school festival). I think they thought the stickers were a little stupid (they were these small smiley face ones) but little did they know that at the end of class however many stickers they had would equal how many pieces of candy they would get...American candy. But I am running out so I think I need to buy some Japanese candy.
I try to say hello to all the students when they walk in the room and connect with them but I think learning names is going to be nearly impossible. At Jackson (where I student taught) Ms. Thomas and I had 19 classes and at one point I think I knew all 500 or so kids names but here the names get confusing to me. I don't know sometimes whether they are telling me their first or last name first (here, typically you say your family name first). And I don't know if they are boys or girls names sometimes. The least I can do is try, I guess. The JTE's (Japanese Teachers of English) help me by giving me suggestions to improve (which I greatly appreciate) and the most common one is to SLOW DOWN by how fast I am speaking. I don't think I talk to fast but I guess I have to look at it from their point of view. Could I really sit through someones self intro in Japanese for a whole 50 minutes? There were a couple of students sleeping in class. That could be for a variety of factors. I gently tapped them on the shoulder and asked them to wake up. I asked my JTE about this and she said it was up to me as to how I will deal with that. I mean, I want to hold students accountable and let them know I care that they are awake in English class. But I know they are under a lot of pressure and tired! So after that class with the sleeping students I tried to make a joke at the beginning of class just saying...I know you are tired/hot/hungry, etc. but please don't sleep in my class. But I think because I am not speaking Japanese...well English for them is easier to tune out and thus, sleepiness comes. I just hope I am not that boring.

Yay! I only have 15 more self intros to give...I need to get energy from somewhere. Luckily I am starting out with few classes to build up the occasional 4 or 5 a day (which is still not that bad...I am just not used to the schedule). And also luckily this week (substitute), next week (Respect for the Aged) and the next (Autumnal Equinox) all have one holiday so there are three 4 day work weeks in a row!

Yesterday was the first day of ESS (English Speaking Society) club. About 7 girls showed up. They spoke a lot in Japanese so I missed some things but they tried to ask me many questions (some personal) in English so that's good (that they are trying to use English). These girls choose to be there and want to learn English. They said they usually watch English movies (I recommeded Hitch...and I think somehow I agreed to bring it next week even though I don't have it??) and have discussions, they have a journal where we write back and forth, prepare for English essays/tests/speech competitions, etc., have holiday parties, etc. I gave the idea to set up a pen pal exchange with high school students in the US and maybe when family and friends come to visit Fukui I can ask them to come to ESS so the students have more exposure to English speakers. This will be something I can look forward to every week, a place where I can really get to know this group of students, and have more flexibility for activities (instead of following a curriculum).

Yesterday I went to Taiko (big Japanese drum) for the first time. It was all JET's and the Japanese teachers...it was very fun. And a good workout. I am glad I took a percussion class at Olaf because some of the techniques transfer...this is something I am going to stick with. The teacher speaks mostly Japanese, uses a few words in English. But then it is like a free Japanese lesson...it's the same with hip hop and calligraphy. The classes are very cheap...I think many of the teachers volunteer their time and want to share Japanese culture which I really appreciate and enjoy.

Now, I just have to figure out how to fill the next three hours at my desk at work (no more classes today)...

Useful Japanese phrases:


Do shitara ii desu ka. This translates to How do I do this? Very helpful...


and Nihongo de nan to iimasuka. How do you say this in Japanese/What do you call this in Japanese?

Check out these articles...

Check out these articles...

I guess Palin has a pair of glasses made in Sabae, Fukui (the prefecture I am in) ...

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080909040135.9o92zw1h&show_article=1

And also in Fukui is a town called Obama!

(outdated)
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hqiXAtSohQcj2DY6bWLtnHX7UoxQ

more school festival...and sleep!

Forget what I said about posting once a week at the same time...my schedule is still too varied to do that, so I apologize. I will post when I can.

Since my last post we had day two of the school festival. I am so glad that I participated in the teachers presentation. Many of the teachers did spoofs of singers, comedians, and danced so my inauthentic costume was not out of place. Students could choose to go to the performance, and many did. Why would they miss seeing their teachers dressed crazy and acting crazy? (There were more guys with skirts!) When I was announced as the new ALT the students were surprised that I was going to perform. They were very supportive and cheered and clapped the whole way through. The whole thing was a lot of fun getting ready and taking pictures with the teachers...it made me feel like a part of the school instead of just the new ALT so I am glad I did it.

There was also a singing contest. That day I ate onigiri, yakisoba, and ice cream. I participated in the tea ceremony. I walked around the booths again and this time I went into the haunted house that one classroom had created. There was much more...lots of performances and presentations. Some times I didn't know exactly what was going on because it was on in Japanese but I could get the gist of it. Plus, many students and teachers are kind enough to explain what is going on.

On Thursday night I tried my hand at Japanese calligraphy. I started from the basics...after learning the basic strokes I tried yama (mountain) and kawa (river). They look simple but are difficult. My teacher said that if it rained my mountain would fall over (the strokes were too thin). There are many rules such as for one stroke you don't write over it or you shouldn't have to dip your brush in the ink for each stroke. For some strokes you stop and some you just let the bristles slide. So this is something that I want to keep working at...it will be my weekly challenge.

Friday was sports day. I wish we would've had something like this at CCHS! The students marched into the field, had a brief opening ceremony and had a full day of games and relays (and clean-up which they all help with). I was on the red team (I just sat and watched) but am proud that we won sports day!... and the statue creating contest! There were lots of games and the whole thing was very organized and ran very smoothly. One of the most interesting games was three girls would lift up another girl and they had to get the hats off of the other teams head...it was a little dangerous. Or there was a game where each team ran to the center and grabbed as many tires as they could which sometimes resulted in a tug of war of sorts (they played that too). Or the guys ran to capture the flag of the other team...many times jumping up on top of a bunch of people. Or people with baskets on their back running and players from other teams trying to throw balls into the baskets...and many more interesting games. There was also a dance competition (both more modern and traditional).

So from what I was told and could tell, there were four teams (yellow, black, blue and red). The whole school was divided into four teams with a mixture of classes in each. It was amazing over the three days of school festival and sports day to see the students talents and energy. They really supported each other as a school and on their teams. The preparation and all the time they took to plan was incredible...it really paid off. From what I was told, each of the students had a role in these days whether it was to perform, organize the food, create a sculpture, etc. From what I know, the students did most of the work. I can only hope they are just as enthusiastic about English class ;-) He he...

After sports day I passed out at 4:00 p.m., got up for a few hours to eat and then slept again for 12 hours. I have been getting lots of sleep but I can't get too used to that because it will be busy soon.

On Saturday my friend Natasha invited me to go swimming...I was just thinking of going to the pool but we went to the coast on the Sea of Japan! It was very beautiful...me an girl from flat-land Ohio and dirty Maumee River is always impressed by the oceans and mountains. We had a potluck after with lots of yummy food including shrimp-kimchee gyoza and rice pudding. I will learn to cook this year!

On Sunday Natasha invited me again to a bbq some of her colleagues were having. We went to a beautiful park. I will check out that area more before the winter hits.

Today is a substitute holiday since we came into school last Sunday. I am at school to use the computer but some of the teachers are here. I swear, they never stop working. This week is the first week of classes. I am really looking forward to it because I have been out of school since April! I am ready for a busy schedule and routine.

Here is what I am thinking for after school activities.

Sunday - break

Monday - Tea Ceremony Club

Tuesday - Japanese Music Ensemble, Japanese lessons, hip hop class

Wednesday - ESS (English Speaking Society), taiko and hip hop (every other week)

Thursday - Cooking Club, Calligraphy Class

Friday - break

Saturday - break

More thoughts...

So, yesterday for about an hour (out of the 9 hour work day) I ventured out in the hallways to meet students. Imagine that. It was so exhausting! I think that is because I have to speak English very slowly and clearly and from meeting many students. I think they get a kick out of hearing themselves speak English. They don't seem too phased when I attempt to speak Japanese...but they think it is really funny when I say "hello" or "hi" to them.

Yesterday I went to the Intermediate Hip-hop class. It was a little more difficult than the beginner one from last week...mainly because they had already been working on a dance for awhile. I plan to go to hip hop one to two times a week.

Today was the school festival. What is that exactly? Still not entirely sure. First we bussed the whole school to Harmony Hall, a concert hall. There were many performances from brass band, to womens chorus to koto ensemble with shamisen guest performers to theater, to high school guys in skirts. I was very tired by the end because of all the Japanese but some things like music and guys in skirts transcend language barriers ;-) We came back to school and got food at booths (we had pre-purchased tickets)...I ate onigiri, chicken, shaved ice and frozen pineapple on a stick. Then there was a fashion show...and later in many of the classrooms there was some activity or display. The most interesting was the human version of that arcade game where you hit the alligator when it pops out. I also bought some hand made soaps by the JRC (Junior Red Cross?) club where the benefits will go to an AIDS organization.

So remember that I said I would dance for the teachers performances? Well I was telling one of the staff at the school I didn't have the costumes and she showed me today a makeshift costume she made me. It was a nice gesture but more inauthentic (is that a word? I know, sad, b/c I am an English teacher). This should be interesting.

On the front page of the Daily Yomiuri...the Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda stepped down from his position...after less than a year. This also happened to his predecessor Shinzo Abe. Hmm...all these political elections going on.

Also, there was an article called "Excuse Me, But I'm From Ohio". It was talking about how many people think there is nothing in Ohio but cornfields and they get it mixed up with Iowa and said that people there don't take risks...but did you know the Wright Brothers, Neil Armstrong, Toni Morrison, John Glenn and Sarah Jessica Parker are all from Ohio? You should check out the article if you have time...

A lot happens in little time...

(These pics are just from when I was biking around the city).


I know I said that I would post once a week but since it is still the beginning of the year I have a lot of thoughts in my head...enough to keep me awake at night. Speaking of which, I can not seem to fall asleep at night. I think of every possible topic from the work I will do at school the next day, papa, excitement about Yuki coming, all the activities I want to do, wondering how friends and family are back home, thinking about money, etc. I even think about the little boy from Ju-on. It's a scary movie that takes place in Japan that I saw a few years back. I know I sound weird but right after I turn off the lights he pops into my brain. Maybe it is because I have never lived alone?!

So, the school buys The Daily Yomiuri which is an English newspaper in Japan. I've never been one to really follow what is going on in the world every day but it does give me something to do and it's in English! I mostly read about the upcoming US election. I find it interesting that McCain chose Palin as his running partner. I wonder if he did that to get some of the women vote. And every article I read has to say Obama is black. Really? It is monumental and all but does it really need to be said in every article? I think that Obama does a great job of bringing people of all different backgrounds together, whatever color. Writing as a biracial person I think a lot of people forget that he is also part white? I know the one drop belief goes way back...I'm just rambling. I am also thinking of my friends in St. Paul while the Republican National Convention is going on because probably in some way they will be affected (won't be able to eat at a restaurant b/c it is only opened to the convention, traffic, working extra hard - i.e. John's Pizza Cafe, etc.)

So, yesterday was the welcome ceremony. Before the actual ceremony was a school cleaning where all the students clean the school. I think it gives them pride in the school and their work and also motivation not to make a mess. I decided to get out of my bubble (desk in the teachers room) and walk around the school. One girl was carrying 6 rolls of toilet paper so I offered to help her. She was carrying them fine but for some reason when she only had 3 she dropped one of them...I think she was shocked and a little confused...Who is this strange person? Why are they speaking English to me? Why do they want to help me?

Then at the time of the ceremony I gave a short speech in Japanese for the whole school. It was over fast but it was surreal while the Kocho-senseii or principal was introducing me I was looking across the gym at the whole school looking back at me and was in a brief state of disbelief: Am I really in Japan? How did I get here? After the speech throughout the day I saw students and a lot more than usual said hello or konnichiwa or some kind of greeting. It was nice because now they know who I am instead of this strange person around the school. After school I was downtown and there were a few students from my school (you can tell because all the uniforms are different) and they were whispering...I think trying to figure out if I was the same girl who gave the speech earlier that day. I didn't say hi, I should have. But you know, it's weird. You know when you are a kid you think teachers aren't human. Like if you see them at the grocery store you think...They eat? Maybe you don't think this but I did...and now I am the teacher on the other side...very interesting...a change of perspective.

Also during the school day I talked with one of the English teachers that I will be team teaching with for three classes. She has two classes she said are very motivated and one that is not and doesn't really like English. Well, guess what, that class is my first class of the term so hopefully I'll have energy to make them love English! he he...

After the school day I did a little shopping. Going to school on a Sunday threw me off so I didn't know what day it was but downtown there were people who were obviously getting off of work. Maybe there isn't the same concept of weekend here as there is at home...someone joked that Japanese teachers don't have weekends but I did hear that they work hard but they can play hard as well. So anyways, went shopping...went to the CD store. Man, they are expensive. I paid about 5000 yen for two CDs...let's say roughly 50 USD. Here, though, I heard you can rent CDs. I see why...

Today I have been at school but went home for 2 hours so a rep from the gas company could come and fix my stove (one side didn't work). Well it was interesting b/c in Japanese class I never learned gas vocabulary. And it is sort of an important thing not to burn the house down...so I ended up having the rep call the school so at least they knew what was going on. Long story short, Japanese apartments are typically unfurnished but mine did come with a stove so someone from the real estate office came in, brought another one...it didn't work. They brought another one...didn't work, or so we thought. They have batteries so we tried it and it worked. But during the time we were waiting I was just making conversation with the gas co rep. It was interesting b/c he spoke about as much English as I speak Japanese so we got by with what simple things we could say.

Tonight I need to go to SoftBank my phone company to sort out my plan. It should be interesting but if all fails, they do have an English help line. It is nice that many things are in English so it helps but then I rely on them instead of trying to learn Japanese (for example, reading a train schedule).

So tomorrow we have another day of school festival preparation (where I sit at my desk and plan lessons). On Wednesday and Thursday is the actual school festival and on Friday is sports day. One of the teachers asked me if I would like to participate by performing at the school festival...I guess many of the new teachers are. So I wasn't rude and so I could try to be involved in the school activities (and thus be a part of the community instead of the foreigner) I agreed. I think they were surprised that I said yes. Anyways I volunteered to dance folklorico. As many of you know this is what I love and miss very much. But it might be quite funny because I don't have any costumes here in Japan. Un-authentic, I know.

I decided that I will visit Rachid in Morroco in December. It was a recent decision that I am very excited about. I will take nenkyu which is paid vacation. We have 12 days but I have heard many Japanese teachers use any of them. But being the foreigner that I am I will take advantage of that part of the contract ;-).

Here's my stab at a haiku...
Japan, here I come
Foreign, yet so familiar
Home, where the heart is

And the word of the week is "Sugei"...I have heard it a lot. "Sugoi" kind of means Wow but I guess the new hip term is Sugei . When you use it you have to use a lot of expression and enthusiasm in your voice...