It's the end of the day at Ogawa (a.k.a. the school that I have a computer in) and I realised it's been a while. I haven't been up to much but I have started thinking about what I want to do for Christmas. For those playing at home I won't be there for Christmas I'm afraid. It's too expensive and not really practical - plus! This way I can have a Japanese Christmas and New Years which will be interesting anyway. I have maybe 2 weeks of holidays and whilst I was thinking of going somewhere in Asia, a friend made a proposition to go to Kyoto which would be just as fun!
Apparently KFC is immensely popular here at Christmas. Like... lines out the door popular. Christmas carols have just started in supermarkets and yet in class today a student thought Christmas was on the 24th. WRONG!
I'll still be home at some stage in March but these days I've been thinking that I would like to stay here a little longer. I've got a really good situation here; I love my apartment, I love the town I live in, I love where I work, the students are awesome and I'm still not bored yet! I miss everyone back home but this sort of thing might not happen again! I'll try to visit everyone in March but I do need to talk to my company and change my existing flight for like, 5 days earlier.
I want Australian food. If you want to see me it may be over some food that I've missed. Be warned vegans(sally). Haaaaaaaaaa just joking! Let's make vegan foccacias with a Mediterranean vegetables! I miss that too!
Lately it's been super cold. Mum sent over a package not so long ago with some thermals saying they were sent "half jokingly, half serious". Well, I'll let everyone know that I've been wearing thermals almost every night (half jokingly, half seriously). There was ICE on my WINDSCREEN. ICE! ON MY WINDSCREEN! People say it might snow and although the cold is a bitch, it would be nice if it snowed. A white Christmas would be priceless! It's fortunate that my Father and Brother both work in the area of heating/cooling and were able to fix my heater when they came to visit because it has been working a treat. However, if I turn on the heater and my toaster oven the power goes off so I have to be wary of that. Needless to say it happens all the time because I'm an r-tard.
For those wondering about my Japanese Skillzzzz then don't be expecting much upon arrival on home soil. I can understand moderately well and I can speak moderately well. That is to say, I can hold a conversation if I lead it (if I lead it, it stays at my level). Let's just say I know enough to get by quite well and that it's not a necessity for me to speak about the intricacies of life with the school nurse opposite me. Although she is lovely.
Last weekend I went to this place called Nasu which is really nice and beautiful. I actually went there to eat burgers because of a friend of mine wanted burgers and I wanted lunch which I guess includes burgers because lunch is such a broad umbrella (*breathes*). It wasn't quite a grill'd burger but it was good nonetheless! Expensive... But I now know that if worse comes to worse I can still travel about 30-40 minutes away to this burger place to indulge in a tricky to eat but delicious burger.
To keep up the trend of following every thought I have and regurgitating them onto this blog. I teach a class of kindergarten children every Friday. Two 4 year olds; Kotona and Shunsuke (Koto-chan and Shun-kun) which has been a bitch lately as they have become nigh on impossible to teach. For those in the know, I'm not crash-hot on children below the age of 10 so it was sometimes difficult for me. I find it difficult to deal with irrationality which Koto-chan was filled up to the brim of. I had just spent 30 minutes making this game where they use a magnet at the end of a fishing rod to pick up numbered fish. In the first few minutes Shun unwound the rod so I had to fix that... then he did it again... then Koto-chan shook the rod viciously and the magnet dislodged and I couldn't find it again.
LUCKY FOR ME Koto-chan's Father doesn't approve of how his children view English class (more fun than study) so he pulled them out. Which means the event that I begin dreading on Wednesdays (I'm not even shitting you) has now become significantly easier because this girl is really about 85% of the problem.
Tonight David is going to the Fleetwood Mac concert. I'm so jealous.
Everyone should start listening to a Fleetwood Mac song now. May I suggest 'Gypsy'? Any will be fine as long as it's the Fleetwood Mac with Stevie Nicks and not the kind before her appearance. You can listen to some Stevie Nicks if that's all you have but it's really the combo that does it for me.
Apparently some awesome bands (individuals that sing?) are coming around February next year so I can begin the long lead-up to that now. TWO MONTHS! WOOOOOOO
I'll write maybe 2 or 3 student evaluatations for funzies while I waste the last remaining minutes.
The influenza is still rife in Japan, it only seems to have gotten worse with the 1st years being sent home last week and now the 2nd years this week. This has lead to many students and teachers wearing masks to protect themselves. Personally, I hate wearing the masks as it muffles my voice and to be frank I don't like to smell my own breath. I also figure that if everyone else is wearing a mask - it eliminates the need for me to wear a mask. It's not so much an issue in the teachers room but in the classroom when the students are all wearing the identical P.E uniform and have a mask covering half of their face I soon find myself in front of a class of phantoms (from the aforementioned opera). Gender ambiguity skyrockets, students speaking softly also increases its altitude. The only good thing about masks is... nope... it's 10 minutes later and I still have nothing.
"pinheads"
There are a myriad of hairstyles in Japan which is probably due to an attempt at individuality from the thin, straight black hair they're born with. In junior highschool students aren't allowed to dye their hair or do anything really interesting so it seems a number of students have found that putting a single hair pin in their fringe is enough of a fashion statement for them.
What's the big deal about this pin you ask? Why even mention the pin you ask? What annoys me about the pin is the fact that it can't possibly be used as a method to keep hair in place (presumably in a nice-looking way) but it's sheer obviousness detracts from the look of the hair in the first place.
There you have it. Two. Yeyyyy.
'till next time!
kris.
What's it really like being a teacher in Japan, and how did you cope with the fact of not initially knowing the language? You may have covered this in a previous blog, but whether you have or not, you can use this question to help fill up your next blog.
ReplyDeleteAlso, does KFC in Japan put broccoli in their wraps?