So today was another ordinary day...but with one caveat.....IT'S HOOOT!
The temperature is around 30-32 degrees Celsius which equates to around 86-90 degrees F. Add humidity on top of that and it's not too pleasant being inside without fans and teaching kids all day! Haha, luckily I was at the elementary school today and I can wear more relaxed sports clothes. But no matter what....it's hot! Today I had 2 elementary schools. In the morning, I taught 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th grade at one school while at my 2nd school in the afternoon I taught the 5th and 6th graders. It was a fun day. We played lots of games and they had a lot of fun. However, with all the movement and games came more heat and it made it tiring. But I'm sitting in my house right now with my fan running and the AC on to help keep it cool. It definitely feels a lot better and I'm starting to cool down for the first time today!
This week is supposed to stay pretty warm with the exception of Saturday and part of Sunday. It should cool down but with that is rain, unfortunately....:(. Normally I wouldn't mind the rain too much but one of my buddies is having a BBQ on Saturday and if it rains that day, it will be sad. We can always do the BBQ inside his restaurant as well, but it would be more fun to be able to hang out outside as well and throw around a frisbee or do some summer stuff as well.
Anyway, the kids had a lot of fun today and it was a good time today. The 1st graders played a game called "Fruit Basket" for the first time today. But because we were learning colors, we did "Color Basket." I was surprised, though, because most everybody in Japan knows how to play "Fruit Basket." But since they are in 1st grade and just started school a couple months ago, they wouldn't have too much opportunity to play the game yet. At the end of class, they all said they had a lot of fun and enjoyed it so that was rewarding. Well, time to keep cool and only a few more weeks of class until summer break! Woooo!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Construction
So I have been removed from posting over the past week. I've been pretty busy and haven't been around too much so that's why I haven't had time to sit down and write more regular blog posts. But I'll hopefully get more caught up and get back into the routine. So last week I took the driver's test....and FAILED! What?! So I scheduled to go in again sometime when summer vacation starts because I don't want to have to use more vacation days to go up to the DMV to take the test. It's such a pain, and I failed for such a dumb reason....:(
There is a special course that people who want to get a Japanese driver's license are required to take the test on. It's like a real roadway with a series of obstacles, turns, and other mock things to replicate the real roads...except for a ridiculous part called the "Crank Turn" which is where my fate ended in obtaining my driver's license. So the crank turn is a series of three 90 degree angle turns and not to mention that it is very narrow to get around each turn...and there are poles that block the way so even if you clear the front bumper over the curve and don't go over with your wheels, the front bumper could hit those poles and you could fail on those. So I was doing well going through the test. I was 2nd in line that day which was lucky so I was able to watch someone else go first before I took the test. He did everything like I had read on the internet about what to do before the test. Checking under the car, double, triple, and quadruple checking all the settings and mirrors in the car, and obviously putting on your seatbelt before turning on the engine were all part of the drill. However, this guy had gone through and hit one of the poles in the crank secion which constitutes an automatic fail. We had to go directly back to the starting point and he was not allowed to finish the course.
I was up next. I did all the initial checkpoints, was doing well, and had a lot of confidence....until we hit the crank turns. I went in for the first turn but it was a tight left turn so I did not make it in. I did a reverse which is fine in order for me to get in. Then came the 2nd 90 degree turn....again I had to back up. Then there was the 3rd 90 degree turn on which I had to back up twice....for a total of 4 times that I had to reverse so that I was able to navigate the car through...which apparently led for me to fail! Wow...I was so mad. I can't believe that even though I was able to navigate the car through, that they failed me because I had to back up. I think that even if I had to back up, I should have still gotten full credit because I was able to navigate it through without hitting anything or going over the curve. So....I have to make the trek back there and retake the test. So for now, I'm still just past part 1 of getting my Japanese Driver's License.....Oh well. As the Japanese say....."しょうがない" *deep sigh
Anyway, I am posting this weekend as well because I have some rare time in my house. But this time that I have in my house was not my choice....when nature decides to wreak havoc and cause leakage in your roof and ceiling, it's time to get a new one. So there are a couple of construction guys who are here today to replace the inside roof because there was some water damage to the ceiling. They are also replacing the floor in my kitchen. There are a couple "hot spots" which sink down when you step on them. So I told them about those as well which had been there since I moved in. So they're finally going to fix all of that today. But the only issue was that they needed to be able to come for a full 1 or 2 days because it's a rather large project. But I have work throughout the week....so that meant that I had to be home during a weekend so that they could come to do their stuff. Bummer.....but I'm glad that they'll hopefully be able to get this all done and get this show on the road. Just waiting and HOPING HOPING HOPING that they finish it all today so I don't have to wait around for them tomorrow to finish up.
Until then, I'll be occupying myself with some cleaning in other rooms and watching movies.
There is a special course that people who want to get a Japanese driver's license are required to take the test on. It's like a real roadway with a series of obstacles, turns, and other mock things to replicate the real roads...except for a ridiculous part called the "Crank Turn" which is where my fate ended in obtaining my driver's license. So the crank turn is a series of three 90 degree angle turns and not to mention that it is very narrow to get around each turn...and there are poles that block the way so even if you clear the front bumper over the curve and don't go over with your wheels, the front bumper could hit those poles and you could fail on those. So I was doing well going through the test. I was 2nd in line that day which was lucky so I was able to watch someone else go first before I took the test. He did everything like I had read on the internet about what to do before the test. Checking under the car, double, triple, and quadruple checking all the settings and mirrors in the car, and obviously putting on your seatbelt before turning on the engine were all part of the drill. However, this guy had gone through and hit one of the poles in the crank secion which constitutes an automatic fail. We had to go directly back to the starting point and he was not allowed to finish the course.
I was up next. I did all the initial checkpoints, was doing well, and had a lot of confidence....until we hit the crank turns. I went in for the first turn but it was a tight left turn so I did not make it in. I did a reverse which is fine in order for me to get in. Then came the 2nd 90 degree turn....again I had to back up. Then there was the 3rd 90 degree turn on which I had to back up twice....for a total of 4 times that I had to reverse so that I was able to navigate the car through...which apparently led for me to fail! Wow...I was so mad. I can't believe that even though I was able to navigate the car through, that they failed me because I had to back up. I think that even if I had to back up, I should have still gotten full credit because I was able to navigate it through without hitting anything or going over the curve. So....I have to make the trek back there and retake the test. So for now, I'm still just past part 1 of getting my Japanese Driver's License.....Oh well. As the Japanese say....."しょうがない" *deep sigh
Anyway, I am posting this weekend as well because I have some rare time in my house. But this time that I have in my house was not my choice....when nature decides to wreak havoc and cause leakage in your roof and ceiling, it's time to get a new one. So there are a couple of construction guys who are here today to replace the inside roof because there was some water damage to the ceiling. They are also replacing the floor in my kitchen. There are a couple "hot spots" which sink down when you step on them. So I told them about those as well which had been there since I moved in. So they're finally going to fix all of that today. But the only issue was that they needed to be able to come for a full 1 or 2 days because it's a rather large project. But I have work throughout the week....so that meant that I had to be home during a weekend so that they could come to do their stuff. Bummer.....but I'm glad that they'll hopefully be able to get this all done and get this show on the road. Just waiting and HOPING HOPING HOPING that they finish it all today so I don't have to wait around for them tomorrow to finish up.
Until then, I'll be occupying myself with some cleaning in other rooms and watching movies.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Need to swim?
This week has been a pretty normal week so far. I haven't posted since I made a trip out to the driving center to go through the first step of getting my Japanese license. Today was an ordinary day at school where I taught two 3rd grade classes, two 2nd grade classes, and a 1st grade class. It was pretty busy because I had class 5 out of the 6 periods!
But the main thing I wanted to blog about was my gym experience yesterday. In my eikaiwa class there is a member who is very active and likes sports. He is 60 some years old and still goes to the gym at least 4 times a week, goes skiing every year in Switzerland, and wakes up early every morning to do pushups and situps. Not to mention tennis every Sunday as well. So we were talking one day about a nearby gym and I was interested. He offered to take me there with him one time along with another eikaiwa member. So I happily agreed because I wanted to know where this gym was and it would be nice to go and get in the pool as well and get some much needed swimming in. So we went yesterday and he picked me up around 5:30.
So we got to the gym and stretched and hopped into the pool. After swimming the first 2 laps I was already out of breath....hahahaha! I was actually pretty tired and took a 20 second breather, then continued a bit more. But the continuation was in increments of 50 meters with breaks in between each time. Meanwhile, I saw other people in there in their 40's and 50's swimming continuously. The eikaiwa members that I went with were also taking it easy but they were swimming more than I was....I felt....so out of shape!! Haha. But in all honestly, there are two different types of being in shape. There's running and there's swimming. I am definitely NOT in swimming shape! I am much more used to running and would be able to run at a normal pace for a longer distance. MUCH MUCH more so than swimming. But still, I felt pathetic against all these other people. I didn't get a tally on how many total yards I swam, but it wasn't much more than 500. I think the eikaiwa members I went with swam closer to 1000 yards maybe....didn't keep track but more than me! Haha. So I decided that I want to get more into swimming for a few reasons. It is very healthy because you get an overall body workout. Swimming works your whole body, whereas running will work mainly your legs. Swimming is also easier on the joints because it is in the water. Your knees are not being crushed or pounding continuously on the ground or treadmill. There is no risk of shin splints or other such injuries. And finally I won't feel embarrassed the next time I go swimming with other people because I will be able to go longer than 100 yards without nearly passing out.
Haha, so the moral of the story is that even if you think you are in good shape, there will always be a 60+ year old Japanese man or woman who will school you...NO MATTER WHAT!
But the main thing I wanted to blog about was my gym experience yesterday. In my eikaiwa class there is a member who is very active and likes sports. He is 60 some years old and still goes to the gym at least 4 times a week, goes skiing every year in Switzerland, and wakes up early every morning to do pushups and situps. Not to mention tennis every Sunday as well. So we were talking one day about a nearby gym and I was interested. He offered to take me there with him one time along with another eikaiwa member. So I happily agreed because I wanted to know where this gym was and it would be nice to go and get in the pool as well and get some much needed swimming in. So we went yesterday and he picked me up around 5:30.
So we got to the gym and stretched and hopped into the pool. After swimming the first 2 laps I was already out of breath....hahahaha! I was actually pretty tired and took a 20 second breather, then continued a bit more. But the continuation was in increments of 50 meters with breaks in between each time. Meanwhile, I saw other people in there in their 40's and 50's swimming continuously. The eikaiwa members that I went with were also taking it easy but they were swimming more than I was....I felt....so out of shape!! Haha. But in all honestly, there are two different types of being in shape. There's running and there's swimming. I am definitely NOT in swimming shape! I am much more used to running and would be able to run at a normal pace for a longer distance. MUCH MUCH more so than swimming. But still, I felt pathetic against all these other people. I didn't get a tally on how many total yards I swam, but it wasn't much more than 500. I think the eikaiwa members I went with swam closer to 1000 yards maybe....didn't keep track but more than me! Haha. So I decided that I want to get more into swimming for a few reasons. It is very healthy because you get an overall body workout. Swimming works your whole body, whereas running will work mainly your legs. Swimming is also easier on the joints because it is in the water. Your knees are not being crushed or pounding continuously on the ground or treadmill. There is no risk of shin splints or other such injuries. And finally I won't feel embarrassed the next time I go swimming with other people because I will be able to go longer than 100 yards without nearly passing out.
Haha, so the moral of the story is that even if you think you are in good shape, there will always be a 60+ year old Japanese man or woman who will school you...NO MATTER WHAT!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Step 1 of Japanese Driver's License...Success!
Today I had the day off because in place of having class and school on Sunday, I had today off. It's a random day off, I know....but it's better than nothing, right?! So today I planned on going in to the Japanese version of a DMV. They call it the License Center which is basically the automotive place to take care of things that you would do at the DMV in the States.
So this morning I made my way up toward Chiba city to the License Center in order to first get my American license translated into Japanese. Apparently, you must get it officially translated by the JAF (Japanese Automotive Federation) which is kind of like AAA. So I went and did that and it only took around 30 minutes. After finishing that at around 10:45am I headed over to Kaihin-Makuhari where the License Center is and went there to await what was in store for me in order to get my Japanese License. Apparently, the process is long and painful...and indeed I can see why.
For starters, it was rainy and gloomy today so the trek wasn't as nice, but I guess it wasn't pouring so that was good! Once I made it to the center, the reception desk for changing your license from a foreign license to a Japanese one was only open from the hours of 8:30am-9am and 1pm-1:30pm! Haha....I arrived at the center around 12pm so I had to wait for about an hour before I could even get my documentation to someone to have them check it so I could take the written test. Well, I got to get some kanji studying in so it wasn't too bad. Finally at around 1pm I handed in a multitude of items...
So this morning I made my way up toward Chiba city to the License Center in order to first get my American license translated into Japanese. Apparently, you must get it officially translated by the JAF (Japanese Automotive Federation) which is kind of like AAA. So I went and did that and it only took around 30 minutes. After finishing that at around 10:45am I headed over to Kaihin-Makuhari where the License Center is and went there to await what was in store for me in order to get my Japanese License. Apparently, the process is long and painful...and indeed I can see why.
For starters, it was rainy and gloomy today so the trek wasn't as nice, but I guess it wasn't pouring so that was good! Once I made it to the center, the reception desk for changing your license from a foreign license to a Japanese one was only open from the hours of 8:30am-9am and 1pm-1:30pm! Haha....I arrived at the center around 12pm so I had to wait for about an hour before I could even get my documentation to someone to have them check it so I could take the written test. Well, I got to get some kanji studying in so it wasn't too bad. Finally at around 1pm I handed in a multitude of items...
- My current U.S. Driver's License
- My old U.S. Driver's License (expired one)
- My current passport
- My old passport (expired one)
- The translated license provided by JAF
- My alien registration card (Japanese ID)
They were basically checking to make sure that I had lived in America for at least 3 months after having received my Driver's License. After that was all checked and finished, they took me to a room where I could take the written test. This is step 1.
It was an easy test. It was only 10 T/F questions and they were pretty common sense. The only challenge was getting around the translation from Japanese into English...which was not so easy on one of the questions! So during the test, I asked the proctor if he could explain more what one of the sentences meant. I can't remember verbatim what the question was but it went something like this....:
Original Question:
"When driving on a road, large motor vehicles and mopeds must keep to the extreme right and light small vehicles and extremely light ones must keep to the extremely left, when approaching a lane which has a change direction."
I read this a couple times and it didn't really make complete sense to me...so I thought about it a little bit and skipped it. After coming back to it, I looked at the picture which accompanied it and figured it was probably trying to say something like this:
My Interpretation:
"When driving within the lane, large motor vehicles and mopeds are required to drive along the right side of the lane while smaller vehicles such as bicyclists are required to drive along the left side of the lane."
I talked with the proctor while he was giving me the eye exam and he had asked me what was confusing about that question. I told him that the last line of the question didn't quite make sense because I wasn't sure if they were trying to say that when you turned into a lane after making a right turn, the vehicles must be in those positions within the lane, or while it was running normally in the lane. He then was like, "Ohhh, I see. Then if it was confusing for you then it might be confusing for other foreigners taking the test as well!"
Haha, I agreed and kindly offered to write down a cleaner way to word the question so they could correct it and ensure that other people wouldn't make a mistake while answering the question because of misinterpretation. He gratefully accepted. So after I finished filling out the applications and getting my appointment set for coming back to take the road test, I wrote down on a piece of paper a more natural way of wording the question. He thanked me and said they would definitely make the change. I guess I'm becoming a natural teacher! Haha! The only thing that was going through my mind was..."Since I helped you with this...could you please just give me the Japanese License now without having to take the road test?!"
Well, I'm scheduled to take the test next Thursday (the 9th) in the morning so I'll have to make another trip out there and probably have to take some time off from school in order to go. They are only open on the weekdays so I have no other choice.
I'm glad that I was able to pass the test and before having taken the test, I read a lot of blogs and information on there about switching to a Japanese License. I even read online that other people had written that it would be tough to get around some of the questions because of the wording or translations, much like the one I encountered today. My question is, if other people experienced it and write about it online, why aren't the tests fixed into better English now? Those people should have also helped by providing a more natural way of wording the questions! Anyway, I hope I pass the test next week and will not have to make more trips out there!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Kind of a day off
Today is Monday. It's pretty rainy and gloomy weather today as well. It was pouring pretty hard this morning. However once mid-morning and the afternoon rolled around, the rain had slowed down and became a light sprinkle or pretty much diminished in most areas. The big kicker for today was that there were no classes today. In fact, there were no students at school today! So why did I even have to go in? That's a very very good question....I'm not sure! But that's a part of Japanese culture that drives me crazy and that I can't stand. No matter what...under all circumstances, people's time are wasted because of formalities and things about work that I don't agree with at all. But anyway, I was able to leave early which I was happy about.
So why are were there no students today? Well, for starters, the 3rd graders are on their middle school trip to Kyoto and Nara. These are historical sites that many middle schoolers travel to for their school trip to learn about Japan's history. The 1st and 2nd graders also had a school field trip today. The 1st graders went to a place in Chiba called Mother Farm. I'm not sure of their exact itinerary there but probably to spend some time outside, see some animals, and other things of that nature. Unfortunately the weather wasn't cooperating too much today so hopefully they still had a good time. And finally, the 2nd graders were gone to the museums up in Chiba. So that left me, 3 other teachers, and the vice principal in the school today. I was aware of today's situation beforehand and so were the other teachers and the vice principal. However, out of the previously spoken formality about work, the vice principal still wanted me to come in to school for just a few hours in order to be fulfilled about the formality...which I still don't know why it exists but that's how it is for now in Japan. I understand that people are obligated to work and should be loyal to work. However, if there is no point in coming in to school or work, then they shouldn't make people come in! It's a waste of time and is more counter-productive than productice! I could have stayed at home and done the same work that I "worked" on while there without wasting any commuting time.
Luckily, the vice principal allowed me to go home around 10:30am so I only had to be there for about 2 hours. But the fact that I still had to wake up, get ready, and then only spend that much time there also makes it aggravating. It was nice that I got to leave early because I was able to run some errands and accomplish things that I'm normally not able to since I have work on the weekdays. When I left, the vice principal was very cautious in telling me about being careful and not getting into an accident as it could be a liability on the school or BOE because I'm technically supposed to be at work during that time. Well, that's understood. But my logic is, that if they didn't make me come into work in the first place, then there is less risk of me even getting into an accident. The fact that they made me go out and come to work puts me at more risk of getting into an accident because I have to go out into traffic. If they would have just let me have the day off, I wouldn't have been out on the road during that time anyway....some people!!!
Oh well, I got to relax today and have a nice break. Now hopefully this water spot in my roof will get fixed. Yesterday, I noticed some water leaking through but luckily it wasn't dripping onto anything in my house. There is someone coming today around now! (4:30pm) to come take a look, so hopefully they can fix it!
So why are were there no students today? Well, for starters, the 3rd graders are on their middle school trip to Kyoto and Nara. These are historical sites that many middle schoolers travel to for their school trip to learn about Japan's history. The 1st and 2nd graders also had a school field trip today. The 1st graders went to a place in Chiba called Mother Farm. I'm not sure of their exact itinerary there but probably to spend some time outside, see some animals, and other things of that nature. Unfortunately the weather wasn't cooperating too much today so hopefully they still had a good time. And finally, the 2nd graders were gone to the museums up in Chiba. So that left me, 3 other teachers, and the vice principal in the school today. I was aware of today's situation beforehand and so were the other teachers and the vice principal. However, out of the previously spoken formality about work, the vice principal still wanted me to come in to school for just a few hours in order to be fulfilled about the formality...which I still don't know why it exists but that's how it is for now in Japan. I understand that people are obligated to work and should be loyal to work. However, if there is no point in coming in to school or work, then they shouldn't make people come in! It's a waste of time and is more counter-productive than productice! I could have stayed at home and done the same work that I "worked" on while there without wasting any commuting time.
Luckily, the vice principal allowed me to go home around 10:30am so I only had to be there for about 2 hours. But the fact that I still had to wake up, get ready, and then only spend that much time there also makes it aggravating. It was nice that I got to leave early because I was able to run some errands and accomplish things that I'm normally not able to since I have work on the weekdays. When I left, the vice principal was very cautious in telling me about being careful and not getting into an accident as it could be a liability on the school or BOE because I'm technically supposed to be at work during that time. Well, that's understood. But my logic is, that if they didn't make me come into work in the first place, then there is less risk of me even getting into an accident. The fact that they made me go out and come to work puts me at more risk of getting into an accident because I have to go out into traffic. If they would have just let me have the day off, I wouldn't have been out on the road during that time anyway....some people!!!
Oh well, I got to relax today and have a nice break. Now hopefully this water spot in my roof will get fixed. Yesterday, I noticed some water leaking through but luckily it wasn't dripping onto anything in my house. There is someone coming today around now! (4:30pm) to come take a look, so hopefully they can fix it!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Rain...and work?!
Today is Sunday....and I had to go in to work!! Ahhhh! Yeah, Japan is weird and ridiculous like that. However, I get next week Thursday off in exchange which is good news. But I don't understand why they don't connect it with other days off to give me a 3 day weekend or something...it's a random Thursday off with a day of work on Friday again, separating the days off....doesn't make too much sense to me and is frustrating! But at least I have a day off in exchange so that is good. The reason we had school today was because the 3rd graders have their annual school trip in which they will go to Kyoto and Nara. These are historical sites and cities in Japan. They are very popular destinations because they exhibit the traditional and old Japan that you may think of when you think of Japan. They are very natural and beautiful (or so I hear!) and they have many historical shrines, parks, and nature which are educational and important to the Japanese.
Today, I only had 2 classes which is not bad at all! I had one 2nd grade class and one 1st grade class. So overall, not a bad day. The only downer is that it has been raining since yesterday...a lot! The weather is forecasted to not be so good in the next few days. There is a typhoon headed straight toward Japan's main island and will hit here tomorrow. It started raining a lot yesterday and has been raining through today (as it continues to do so). Then the typhoon will come in tomorrow, and last until around Tuesday. Hopefully this doesn't mark the start of the infamous "Rainy Season" but it very well could be! Rainy season is an unpredictable and not fun time in Japan! It is what it sounds like...where it will and can rain anytime, anywhere. People carry umbrellas with them at all times as no one will ever be sure when the sky will unleash and let rain pour.
As well, I noticed that there was a wet spot in my ceiling. It seems that there may be some leak in the roof somewhere over my computer room. It isn't dripping water anywhere yet but it could be soon since it's not expected to stop raining anytime soon. I called my supervisors and landlord and they will come take a look at it tomorrow. Hopefully it will hold up until then!
Hopefully I'll be staying dry until my next post!
Today, I only had 2 classes which is not bad at all! I had one 2nd grade class and one 1st grade class. So overall, not a bad day. The only downer is that it has been raining since yesterday...a lot! The weather is forecasted to not be so good in the next few days. There is a typhoon headed straight toward Japan's main island and will hit here tomorrow. It started raining a lot yesterday and has been raining through today (as it continues to do so). Then the typhoon will come in tomorrow, and last until around Tuesday. Hopefully this doesn't mark the start of the infamous "Rainy Season" but it very well could be! Rainy season is an unpredictable and not fun time in Japan! It is what it sounds like...where it will and can rain anytime, anywhere. People carry umbrellas with them at all times as no one will ever be sure when the sky will unleash and let rain pour.
As well, I noticed that there was a wet spot in my ceiling. It seems that there may be some leak in the roof somewhere over my computer room. It isn't dripping water anywhere yet but it could be soon since it's not expected to stop raining anytime soon. I called my supervisors and landlord and they will come take a look at it tomorrow. Hopefully it will hold up until then!
Hopefully I'll be staying dry until my next post!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Back to Judo
So this week has been pretty busy. Today wasn't too bad, though. Thank goodness. I had 4 classes today. I had two 3rd grade classes and two 1st grade classes at the middle school today. Nothing special in particular happened today. I guess the parts that I translated in the document that my principal asked me to do awhile back finally came into good use. Today, out of the blue, one of the teachers asked me to print it all off so they could create an English version packet. I don't know who they were going to show, but there were many guests that came to the school today. I think they might have had a meeting today about the sister school exchange program and wanted to show that at the meeting. Either way, the principal was very happy with the work that I had put into it (as well as the efforts and enormous help from my mother and prior vice principal). It took many many hours to translate, edit, and re-edit the parts! Translation is a tough job, so I give my mother lots of credit for the job she does! It's tough because even if you are fluent in one language, there are so many nuances, phrases, and references that you have to learn in the language that you are translating it to in order for it to read smoothly. Even so, just doing that kind of work for a long time is also straining on your mind as you try to think of the best words and phrases and is tiring.
Tonight I decided to go to Judo club again since it's been awhile since I'd been there. I also want to get back in the habit of regular exercise during the week so I figure that going there will be a good way to fit it in. It's also fun to wrestle around with the students because they all like to come up and challenge me...their English teacher! It's cool to see that there are a lot of new 1st graders on the team. It's good that they have the interest so that by the time they become 3rd graders, hopefully they will get a lot of experience and become pretty good. They are all a good crew and good group of kids. But I was tired today after practice, needless to say. I stayed at the practice until around 6pm, but they usually stay until close to 7pm, I think. There was one big cultural thing that I was aware of but that really hit me today at practice. In America, people are very laid back and you can come and go to events/practices/classes as you please without it being a big deal. If you enter, people will greet you and say, "Hey, what's up?" or "hey there." But in Japan, things start and end with a definite bow, greeting, and other form of interaction or process. When I left early, I just told a few of the kids that I was leaving early and they were like, "Ok, see you!" and I thought that would be it. Then the senior captain turned off the music, called everyone over and said, "Lei!" and they all chanted "arigato gozaimashita!" They all bowed and told me thank you and saw me off. I was kind of in shock even though it's not the first time this kind of thing had happened. But it was just interesting because I didn't know what to say except, "Thank you. Mata yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Minasan ganbatte ne!" I thought I w0uld just leave casually but that was not the case. I guess it just hit me but it was a good realization and very cool. The culture is similar, yet so different.
I'm having a great time here in Japan and realize/discover something new everyday!
Tonight I decided to go to Judo club again since it's been awhile since I'd been there. I also want to get back in the habit of regular exercise during the week so I figure that going there will be a good way to fit it in. It's also fun to wrestle around with the students because they all like to come up and challenge me...their English teacher! It's cool to see that there are a lot of new 1st graders on the team. It's good that they have the interest so that by the time they become 3rd graders, hopefully they will get a lot of experience and become pretty good. They are all a good crew and good group of kids. But I was tired today after practice, needless to say. I stayed at the practice until around 6pm, but they usually stay until close to 7pm, I think. There was one big cultural thing that I was aware of but that really hit me today at practice. In America, people are very laid back and you can come and go to events/practices/classes as you please without it being a big deal. If you enter, people will greet you and say, "Hey, what's up?" or "hey there." But in Japan, things start and end with a definite bow, greeting, and other form of interaction or process. When I left early, I just told a few of the kids that I was leaving early and they were like, "Ok, see you!" and I thought that would be it. Then the senior captain turned off the music, called everyone over and said, "Lei!" and they all chanted "arigato gozaimashita!" They all bowed and told me thank you and saw me off. I was kind of in shock even though it's not the first time this kind of thing had happened. But it was just interesting because I didn't know what to say except, "Thank you. Mata yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Minasan ganbatte ne!" I thought I w0uld just leave casually but that was not the case. I guess it just hit me but it was a good realization and very cool. The culture is similar, yet so different.
I'm having a great time here in Japan and realize/discover something new everyday!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Yeah....TGIF!
TGIF! This week wasn't too bad, but it seemed to go by a little more slowly than usual...especially today! I only had 3 classes today when I normally have 6 on Friday...but maybe that's why it seemed to go by more slowly with all the free time I had. I had meeting times with the teachers plan lessons but normally the day doesn't seem to drag on like it did today! Well today I had my normal Tuesday elementary school in the morning. I switched the Tuesday and Friday morning schedule because the teachers of the schools requested to do so. So this morning I taught a 5th and 6th grade class and this afternoon I had one 6th grade class at my other elementary school.
Today at the school in the afternoon, the top dogs from the Chiba BOE were in town to do an observation. I think they're going around to all the schools around Chiba to check on classes and such. So today, they came to observe around 5-10 minutes of my class this afternoon....wow! There were around 7-10 adults wandering around the room kind of checking and just listening in on what the class was like. But there's a funny story to this.
So prior to the class starting I was sitting in the teacher's room. One of the top guys came in and asked to see the textbook for the 2nd grade social studies class or one of those classes. I was the only other person in the room besides the school secretary. Of course, I have no idea where those books are and what it would look like if I found it. So I deferred to the secretary and asked her if she knew where the books were. I'm sure the man thought that I was one of the normal teachers at the school....he would have NEVER guessed by looking at me that I was the "English Teacher!" So it was funny to see his reaction when he walked into the classroom to observe my class today. I could see him looking at me, then looked confused, and then started talking with one of the members of the local Board of Education. I know his question/curiosity was "Is he Japanese?" Haha....I kind of chuckled to myself because he probably felt awkward after knowing that he had asked me where the books for the 2nd grade class was even though I'm only at that school once a week...if even.
Well, that's the only exciting thing to happen today...nothing much else. It was very warm and sunny out today! It's been great weather this week and I hope it continues into the weekend! My girlfriend and I are set to go out and explore Chiba this weekend, so I hope the weather is nice while we do so! Happy weekend and TGIF!
Today at the school in the afternoon, the top dogs from the Chiba BOE were in town to do an observation. I think they're going around to all the schools around Chiba to check on classes and such. So today, they came to observe around 5-10 minutes of my class this afternoon....wow! There were around 7-10 adults wandering around the room kind of checking and just listening in on what the class was like. But there's a funny story to this.
So prior to the class starting I was sitting in the teacher's room. One of the top guys came in and asked to see the textbook for the 2nd grade social studies class or one of those classes. I was the only other person in the room besides the school secretary. Of course, I have no idea where those books are and what it would look like if I found it. So I deferred to the secretary and asked her if she knew where the books were. I'm sure the man thought that I was one of the normal teachers at the school....he would have NEVER guessed by looking at me that I was the "English Teacher!" So it was funny to see his reaction when he walked into the classroom to observe my class today. I could see him looking at me, then looked confused, and then started talking with one of the members of the local Board of Education. I know his question/curiosity was "Is he Japanese?" Haha....I kind of chuckled to myself because he probably felt awkward after knowing that he had asked me where the books for the 2nd grade class was even though I'm only at that school once a week...if even.
Well, that's the only exciting thing to happen today...nothing much else. It was very warm and sunny out today! It's been great weather this week and I hope it continues into the weekend! My girlfriend and I are set to go out and explore Chiba this weekend, so I hope the weather is nice while we do so! Happy weekend and TGIF!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Nothing too much today
Today was another day at the middle school. It was nice because I had a bit of free time in the morning to relax and not be bombarded with classes. For the first period I had my 3B class and we went into a new grammar point. Not a bad class. Then I had the 2nd and 3rd period off and continued with my 1B class in which we just gave back the exam they took and went over the answers. Again, nothing much for me to do there so it was easy.
Then in the afternoon we continued with the 1B class and finished the day off with the 3A class. Altogether, not too bad. The day went by more slowly because it was a nice day today...and I had to spend it inside!!! Well, I at least got to go for a run after school today, so I'm not too bitter. I want to get back into the mode of regular daily exercise. Time to get the beach body in order! I recently bought a new yoga mat so that I could do sit-ups and floor exercises without hurting my back! The wood floor is hard in my house! I also got one of those ab roll things to help strengthen my abs and help with balance. It definitely works!
Then in the afternoon we continued with the 1B class and finished the day off with the 3A class. Altogether, not too bad. The day went by more slowly because it was a nice day today...and I had to spend it inside!!! Well, I at least got to go for a run after school today, so I'm not too bitter. I want to get back into the mode of regular daily exercise. Time to get the beach body in order! I recently bought a new yoga mat so that I could do sit-ups and floor exercises without hurting my back! The wood floor is hard in my house! I also got one of those ab roll things to help strengthen my abs and help with balance. It definitely works!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Belated Easter lesson
Today was a nice day! It was rainy last night...and it rained pretty hard! But today was a sunny and comfortable day. Too bad I had to spend most of it inside teaching classes! Well, I guess I didn't have to teach too much today, actually. Yesterday, the students all had mid-term exams so today we handed them back and went over the exams. I was scheduled for 5 classes and went to all of them. However, I didn't have to do too much today. I helped with some last minute correcting that one of my English teachers needed help with and ran a few warmups for the classes. But other than that, it was a pretty chill day.
I had the two 3rd grade classes, the two 2nd grade classes, and one 1st grade class. So in total, 5 classes, none of which I had to actually teach!
I don't have too much more to report for today. Tonight I have my Eikaiwa and I'll be doing an Easter lesson! I have boiled eggs ready to go for them to decorate, printed out a powerpoint for them to follow along, and have a game ready! I know it's a little late, but we haven't had class since the actual Easter date so I figure it will be good for them to learn about the holiday.
I had the two 3rd grade classes, the two 2nd grade classes, and one 1st grade class. So in total, 5 classes, none of which I had to actually teach!
I don't have too much more to report for today. Tonight I have my Eikaiwa and I'll be doing an Easter lesson! I have boiled eggs ready to go for them to decorate, printed out a powerpoint for them to follow along, and have a game ready! I know it's a little late, but we haven't had class since the actual Easter date so I figure it will be good for them to learn about the holiday.
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