Hmm, wait...let me think back. Damn what a long week...okay, slowly...slowly...oh uh..okay yeah..okay I remember.
Monday- shoot, forgot. Monday, I went to work (figure that's a good place to start). Work was work where I get paid to spend most of my day studying Japanese. I spent the whole day with the 2nd years. The 2nd year teacher wasn't happy, I don't know what she was so upset about. No one told her to die or shot rubber bands at her. All in all, it was good day. No one died, which means I refrained from throwing one of them out the 3rd floor window. I was happy. On top of that, the kids got a new seating chart. I wonder what the teachers were thinking because it's like they stuck all the rude and obnoxious kids in a bunch in the middle of the classroom (what the f#*%#?!). BUT!!! This also means we get a new group of kids for SOJISURU (cleaning time!!!). The kids we have are AWESOME! They come down and....and....CLEAN!!!!! Without ANYONE yelling at them! It was SHOCKING! Neither the English teacher or I knew what to do. It was a FABULOUS DAY!
Then I had a meeting at the elementary school. The teacher actually spoke English during the English lesson meeting and I got out of there in time to make my train. Last time they all spoke Japanese and took 50 minutes to talk about a game that should have just been scrapped anyways.
SO everything was going good, until my roommate got home. She's been sick lately and told me that her doctor suggested that she move back home. WA!!!! I understand her need to take care of her health, but...but...hmm, time to start finding a new place to live. Which might be darn near impossible since most places in Japan require the equivalent of 3-4 months rent to move in. After taking a walk to clear my mind, I came back in (it was about midnight). She knocks on my door and asks if I'm still up. So we talk again and she has....HALLELEUJAH! changed her mind!!! We instead come up with a plan to help decrease the amount of stress that she's been dealing with. (Side note- most of you might not know that Japan has it's own disease that is strictly stress related. Many people have actually died from it. Talk about NUTS!). One problem solved **Update: clearly not solved as I had to move out a few months later**
Tuesday - Elementary school...yeaaaahhh ....no not yeah. I go to two elementary schools, Daini and Fujishou. Daini is fabulous! The lessons are great, the kids are great, and it's just a nice environment overall. Fujishou just can't seem to get it together. The English teachers spend hours planning, but the lessons are never long enough and always BORING! On top of that, I barely do anything. What's the point of me being there? I mean honestly I could be knocking sense into some 13 year old next door. So, I come in and review the lesson plan and...sit...sit...sit...Oh time to go. First trip up 4 flights of stairs for the day (they make me go downstairs after EVERY FREAKING LESSON even though there's only 10 minutes between classes. Anyways, I get into class and what, it's just me, huh?! Looking around for the lesson supplies (a stupid worksheet and cardstock) I can't find any. It appears that in all of the planning, NO ONE thought that it'd be useful to, I don't know, make copies and get supplies together.
Seriously?! So I stand and wait, because honestly my title is Assistant Language Teacher and I don't get paid enough to make things up on the fly like that. Plus the head teacher is way anal. 10 minutes into English class and the head teacher comes in and starts with "Good morning everyone...Good morning Kimura-sensei"...blah blah blah, talk talk talk....talk....talk...*DINGDINGDING*....what was the point of me being there again?
During the next class I work with the homeroom teacher. Feeling rebellious I just walked over to the class, instead of trekking downstairs. Boy was that a mistake. I walk right in on the teacher screaming in the face of a 11 year old boy. She was IRRATE! Not having ANY clue as to what she was saying, I just watched and tried to figure out what was so important that she'd be tearing the boy a new one. Oddly, the boy just walked around the classroom packing up all of his belongings, not once acknowledging the teacher making the whole thing seem kind of pointless. *DINGDINGDING* Uh....*twiddling thumbs*....10 minutes later I realize that it seems the boy slapped the girl next to him and bent one of the earpieces of her glasses (which honestly wasn't even noticeable). The teacher wasn't yelling because the student had hit the girl, but that he had bent the earpiece of her glasses. What the heck!? Needless to say, the next 35 minutes were the most awkward 35 minutes of my life as she continued to berate him. On top of that, two PTA parents came in to observe the last 10 minutes :-| GAH! What horrible timing. The rest of the day was equally amazing.
Wednesday - Apparently nothing exciting because I honestly don't remember it happening. OH WAIT! The PE teacher said that I could start swimming after school :) YESSSS!!!! I'm going to start a swimming club. It's going to be me....hmm, oh wait, the kids are only allowed to be a part of one club and that club lasts the entire year and most kids seem to have to stay in the same club all 3 years :-| Misery! So I'm going to start a club by myself. I'm going to make sure to have a lot of fun, by myself.
Thursday - It rained, but THIS time I was prepared. I had gone to the store and purchased a rain "suit" (yes, suit - pants and a jacket :). My pants weren't going to be covered in mud today. On top of that, I carried an extra bag with my parka and swim suit :) Damn if a little rain is going to keep me from swimming !!! All day I waited...is it time yet...is it time yet....???? This is the first summer that hasn't been spent at the pool. I was a little anxious to be able to swim! Bell rings...Run downstairs to quickly sweep up during cleaning to find the girls playing in the water fountain (which is also the hand washing area). Wanting them to finish quickly, I jumped up and down behind them yelling "FINISHED!!! FINISHED!!!OWARI OWARI OWARI!!! GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WATER FOUNTAIN!" I want to go swim! Running back to the faculty room I slide to a stop at the door (can't let them think I'm overly excited). Walking in casually I head to my desk to get my bag. Realizing I'm in Japan and not America, I decide to check with the PE teacher to see if it was okay for me to go swimming.
"Um, excuse me. Is it okay to swim today" :) I actually said that in Japanese WoooWooo (although I had to practice it all day)
"Hmm, Swimming.....hmmmm, Today.....Asami-sensei, do you think it's okay to swim today?"
What!!??!
"The water is only 22 degrees. It wouldn't be good to swim"
"Hmm, sorry. It is too cold to swim."
"NO... It's okay!!! I've swam in colder!" That's what 72 degrees. Seriously I'm not going to catch hypothermia!!! Plus it's like 90 outside!!!
"Hmm....it's not a good idea to swim in 22 degree water, is it!" That wasn't really a question, but a Japanese bulls#*# answer that really means, "Shut the ____ up and stop asking!"
Sigh....I hate these people :( Okay, of course I don't really hate them, but hmm, I'm not too happy with them right now.
Friday - Great day! NO 2nd years :) ALL 3rd years, which is boring as hell, but it's boring as hell!!! Which means no problems :) And seriously, as much as I enjoy trying to get the 2nd years to cooperate, sometimes boring is good :)
11:30 - "Crysti-sensei, I forgot to tell you the schedule has changed."
"Really?" (What I mean is, WHAT'S new? We haven't gone more than 3 days with the same schedule)
"Today, the elementary school teachers are coming to observe during 5th period. Then we're going to talk about how the kids have changed."
"Oh, really!? That's neat!" Honestly, this kind of collaboration is ideal! But at what cost?
2:00 - I head up to the 1st year's classroom...
"Crysti-sensei!! What are you doing here?"
"Um, my schedule said to come here."
"WHAT!? It does?" checks her schedule "Oh, you're right...um, *HAHA* well, I forgot to tell you I would like you to help the 2nd year class. You know they are very difficult and the elementary teachers are going."
WHAT!!?!? Like the elementary teachers don't already know that the 2nd year students are borderline insane!
"Um, okay." Yeah, so I'm learning how to be more Japanese.
Dragging myself downstairs, ALL 6 flights!! I find the 2nd year teacher and walk back upstairs for class.
Walking into the class I look around and realize, OH CRAP! This is the rowdy class (not bad, but literally SHOUT EVERYTHING (questions, answers, everything). Well maybe it'll look like they're rowdy about English, maybe.
I decide to go out in the hallway and enjoy the entertainment, which means watching the natives go Ape-doodoo. They must know what's going on, because they're acting nuttier than usual! When suddenly, "Crysti-sensei CATCH!"
I look up to find the largest 2nd year holding one of the smallest second year boys like a baby. Being about 10 feet away, I do the only thing I can think of. I tuck my textbook under my armpit and hold out my hands. "Okay, throw him." I'm not going to get sued and my language skills aren't strong enough to explain why it's a bad idea...so I went with it. The little boy starts screaming. Haha, okay I'm messed up, I know it, but hey it's Friday! So the kids step closer and rather gently toss him. I catch him, to the shock of every boy and girl in hallway (seriously the kid might have been a whole 90 pounds!). Holding him, I look around and wonder what I'm supposed to do now, when the kid starts squirming and yelling, "MY PANTS MY PANTS MY PANTS!!!" Realizing that his pants had started to fall down when he landed, I regain my sense and put him down. With that, I have now earned the nickname, "Muscles". Which is probably a good thing with this group of kids.
5 minutes into class -
"Crysti-sensei, I have to run to the faculty room to make copies. Please ask the students the question, What are you doing?
WHAT!!?!?!
"I can run and make copies!!" I interject.
"No, no, you don't have to do that. I've got it!"
"Um, can you at LEAST tell the students what I'm doing?" Otherwise all I get is, "wakaranai" (I don't understand).
"Oh, they'll figure it out. " Runs out the door.
Standing at the front. I stare around. Well damn me! 1/2 the kids are yelling about, frogs? Weird. How the heck am I supposed to entertain them all if I'm asking individual kids questions? Then, as a testament to my unbelievable luck, the principal, head teacher and 3 other teachers from the elementary school walk in. Ummm....???? Feeling like a deer frozen in front of an oncoming semi, I start writing on the board. I'm ______ing. Throwing the question out there. The kids immediately start screaming answers at me. Damn I don't know how to say raise your hand in Japanese. So I just start writing them down.
I'm sleeping. My response, "Oh really?" "Rearry!" How? You're talking to me?" "I'm sleeping." "Yeah, me too!" Okay next.
I'm studying English. My response, "HAHAHA! Is that what we call this?" Okay I didn't really say that aloud.
I'm dying. My response, "Oh yeah! That's a good one. Who said that? Yeah, I'm dying here too." Laughter....oh one kid might really be studying English.
The teacher walks in and looks at the responses.
"I'm Dying? Who said that!? You're NOT dying! Who said that?"
Ohhhh crap. Is it really that bad of an answer? I thought it was rather creative. Not wanting to give it away I point to a general vacinity of the room and just say, "Hmm, I'm not sure but I think it came from this side of the room. But if I could add. I AM dying, slowly...very slowly...hopefully very very slowly." Teacher laughs and moves on. WHEW! That was a close one. For the rest of the class I just walk the rows and check the student's spelling and ask kids how their leisure reading is going. Half of them think they're being sneaky by sticking the book 1/2 in their desk... I'd be reading a book too if I were them. As I continue walking, the kid who tossed the little student at me earlier stops me:
Him: Japanese Japanese Japanese....that I can't understand
Me: "Ummm...." puzzled look.
Him: same thing...more slowly....
Me: "Wakaranai" That came in handy.
Him: Looking very troubled..."wakaranai..." Looking around he starts asking the kids how to say it in English. Finally he just shouts out, "Tabata teacher tabata teacher" Yes, sadly the kids think that in English you say teacher after the teacher's name. He then asks his question.
Tabata-sensei: "Mrs. Jones, he wants to know if you like frogs"
Me: Um, sure...
He smiles happily.
Okay, what an awesome end to a long week! But NEXT week, I'll get to swim. This time, I'm not asking! I was told it'd be okay next week, so damn if I'm going to risk being given another ambiguous answer!!
Monday- shoot, forgot. Monday, I went to work (figure that's a good place to start). Work was work where I get paid to spend most of my day studying Japanese. I spent the whole day with the 2nd years. The 2nd year teacher wasn't happy, I don't know what she was so upset about. No one told her to die or shot rubber bands at her. All in all, it was good day. No one died, which means I refrained from throwing one of them out the 3rd floor window. I was happy. On top of that, the kids got a new seating chart. I wonder what the teachers were thinking because it's like they stuck all the rude and obnoxious kids in a bunch in the middle of the classroom (what the f#*%#?!). BUT!!! This also means we get a new group of kids for SOJISURU (cleaning time!!!). The kids we have are AWESOME! They come down and....and....CLEAN!!!!! Without ANYONE yelling at them! It was SHOCKING! Neither the English teacher or I knew what to do. It was a FABULOUS DAY!
Then I had a meeting at the elementary school. The teacher actually spoke English during the English lesson meeting and I got out of there in time to make my train. Last time they all spoke Japanese and took 50 minutes to talk about a game that should have just been scrapped anyways.
SO everything was going good, until my roommate got home. She's been sick lately and told me that her doctor suggested that she move back home. WA!!!! I understand her need to take care of her health, but...but...hmm, time to start finding a new place to live. Which might be darn near impossible since most places in Japan require the equivalent of 3-4 months rent to move in. After taking a walk to clear my mind, I came back in (it was about midnight). She knocks on my door and asks if I'm still up. So we talk again and she has....HALLELEUJAH! changed her mind!!! We instead come up with a plan to help decrease the amount of stress that she's been dealing with. (Side note- most of you might not know that Japan has it's own disease that is strictly stress related. Many people have actually died from it. Talk about NUTS!). One problem solved **Update: clearly not solved as I had to move out a few months later**
Tuesday - Elementary school...yeaaaahhh ....no not yeah. I go to two elementary schools, Daini and Fujishou. Daini is fabulous! The lessons are great, the kids are great, and it's just a nice environment overall. Fujishou just can't seem to get it together. The English teachers spend hours planning, but the lessons are never long enough and always BORING! On top of that, I barely do anything. What's the point of me being there? I mean honestly I could be knocking sense into some 13 year old next door. So, I come in and review the lesson plan and...sit...sit...sit...Oh time to go. First trip up 4 flights of stairs for the day (they make me go downstairs after EVERY FREAKING LESSON even though there's only 10 minutes between classes. Anyways, I get into class and what, it's just me, huh?! Looking around for the lesson supplies (a stupid worksheet and cardstock) I can't find any. It appears that in all of the planning, NO ONE thought that it'd be useful to, I don't know, make copies and get supplies together.
Seriously?! So I stand and wait, because honestly my title is Assistant Language Teacher and I don't get paid enough to make things up on the fly like that. Plus the head teacher is way anal. 10 minutes into English class and the head teacher comes in and starts with "Good morning everyone...Good morning Kimura-sensei"...blah blah blah, talk talk talk....talk....talk...*DINGDINGDING*....what was the point of me being there again?
During the next class I work with the homeroom teacher. Feeling rebellious I just walked over to the class, instead of trekking downstairs. Boy was that a mistake. I walk right in on the teacher screaming in the face of a 11 year old boy. She was IRRATE! Not having ANY clue as to what she was saying, I just watched and tried to figure out what was so important that she'd be tearing the boy a new one. Oddly, the boy just walked around the classroom packing up all of his belongings, not once acknowledging the teacher making the whole thing seem kind of pointless. *DINGDINGDING* Uh....*twiddling thumbs*....10 minutes later I realize that it seems the boy slapped the girl next to him and bent one of the earpieces of her glasses (which honestly wasn't even noticeable). The teacher wasn't yelling because the student had hit the girl, but that he had bent the earpiece of her glasses. What the heck!? Needless to say, the next 35 minutes were the most awkward 35 minutes of my life as she continued to berate him. On top of that, two PTA parents came in to observe the last 10 minutes :-| GAH! What horrible timing. The rest of the day was equally amazing.
Wednesday - Apparently nothing exciting because I honestly don't remember it happening. OH WAIT! The PE teacher said that I could start swimming after school :) YESSSS!!!! I'm going to start a swimming club. It's going to be me....hmm, oh wait, the kids are only allowed to be a part of one club and that club lasts the entire year and most kids seem to have to stay in the same club all 3 years :-| Misery! So I'm going to start a club by myself. I'm going to make sure to have a lot of fun, by myself.
Thursday - It rained, but THIS time I was prepared. I had gone to the store and purchased a rain "suit" (yes, suit - pants and a jacket :). My pants weren't going to be covered in mud today. On top of that, I carried an extra bag with my parka and swim suit :) Damn if a little rain is going to keep me from swimming !!! All day I waited...is it time yet...is it time yet....???? This is the first summer that hasn't been spent at the pool. I was a little anxious to be able to swim! Bell rings...Run downstairs to quickly sweep up during cleaning to find the girls playing in the water fountain (which is also the hand washing area). Wanting them to finish quickly, I jumped up and down behind them yelling "FINISHED!!! FINISHED!!!OWARI OWARI OWARI!!! GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WATER FOUNTAIN!" I want to go swim! Running back to the faculty room I slide to a stop at the door (can't let them think I'm overly excited). Walking in casually I head to my desk to get my bag. Realizing I'm in Japan and not America, I decide to check with the PE teacher to see if it was okay for me to go swimming.
"Um, excuse me. Is it okay to swim today" :) I actually said that in Japanese WoooWooo (although I had to practice it all day)
"Hmm, Swimming.....hmmmm, Today.....Asami-sensei, do you think it's okay to swim today?"
What!!??!
"The water is only 22 degrees. It wouldn't be good to swim"
"Hmm, sorry. It is too cold to swim."
"NO... It's okay!!! I've swam in colder!" That's what 72 degrees. Seriously I'm not going to catch hypothermia!!! Plus it's like 90 outside!!!
"Hmm....it's not a good idea to swim in 22 degree water, is it!" That wasn't really a question, but a Japanese bulls#*# answer that really means, "Shut the ____ up and stop asking!"
Sigh....I hate these people :( Okay, of course I don't really hate them, but hmm, I'm not too happy with them right now.
Friday - Great day! NO 2nd years :) ALL 3rd years, which is boring as hell, but it's boring as hell!!! Which means no problems :) And seriously, as much as I enjoy trying to get the 2nd years to cooperate, sometimes boring is good :)
11:30 - "Crysti-sensei, I forgot to tell you the schedule has changed."
"Really?" (What I mean is, WHAT'S new? We haven't gone more than 3 days with the same schedule)
"Today, the elementary school teachers are coming to observe during 5th period. Then we're going to talk about how the kids have changed."
"Oh, really!? That's neat!" Honestly, this kind of collaboration is ideal! But at what cost?
2:00 - I head up to the 1st year's classroom...
"Crysti-sensei!! What are you doing here?"
"Um, my schedule said to come here."
"WHAT!? It does?" checks her schedule "Oh, you're right...um, *HAHA* well, I forgot to tell you I would like you to help the 2nd year class. You know they are very difficult and the elementary teachers are going."
WHAT!!?!? Like the elementary teachers don't already know that the 2nd year students are borderline insane!
"Um, okay." Yeah, so I'm learning how to be more Japanese.
Dragging myself downstairs, ALL 6 flights!! I find the 2nd year teacher and walk back upstairs for class.
Walking into the class I look around and realize, OH CRAP! This is the rowdy class (not bad, but literally SHOUT EVERYTHING (questions, answers, everything). Well maybe it'll look like they're rowdy about English, maybe.
I decide to go out in the hallway and enjoy the entertainment, which means watching the natives go Ape-doodoo. They must know what's going on, because they're acting nuttier than usual! When suddenly, "Crysti-sensei CATCH!"
I look up to find the largest 2nd year holding one of the smallest second year boys like a baby. Being about 10 feet away, I do the only thing I can think of. I tuck my textbook under my armpit and hold out my hands. "Okay, throw him." I'm not going to get sued and my language skills aren't strong enough to explain why it's a bad idea...so I went with it. The little boy starts screaming. Haha, okay I'm messed up, I know it, but hey it's Friday! So the kids step closer and rather gently toss him. I catch him, to the shock of every boy and girl in hallway (seriously the kid might have been a whole 90 pounds!). Holding him, I look around and wonder what I'm supposed to do now, when the kid starts squirming and yelling, "MY PANTS MY PANTS MY PANTS!!!" Realizing that his pants had started to fall down when he landed, I regain my sense and put him down. With that, I have now earned the nickname, "Muscles". Which is probably a good thing with this group of kids.
5 minutes into class -
"Crysti-sensei, I have to run to the faculty room to make copies. Please ask the students the question, What are you doing?
WHAT!!?!?!
"I can run and make copies!!" I interject.
"No, no, you don't have to do that. I've got it!"
"Um, can you at LEAST tell the students what I'm doing?" Otherwise all I get is, "wakaranai" (I don't understand).
"Oh, they'll figure it out. " Runs out the door.
Standing at the front. I stare around. Well damn me! 1/2 the kids are yelling about, frogs? Weird. How the heck am I supposed to entertain them all if I'm asking individual kids questions? Then, as a testament to my unbelievable luck, the principal, head teacher and 3 other teachers from the elementary school walk in. Ummm....???? Feeling like a deer frozen in front of an oncoming semi, I start writing on the board. I'm ______ing. Throwing the question out there. The kids immediately start screaming answers at me. Damn I don't know how to say raise your hand in Japanese. So I just start writing them down.
I'm sleeping. My response, "Oh really?" "Rearry!" How? You're talking to me?" "I'm sleeping." "Yeah, me too!" Okay next.
I'm studying English. My response, "HAHAHA! Is that what we call this?" Okay I didn't really say that aloud.
I'm dying. My response, "Oh yeah! That's a good one. Who said that? Yeah, I'm dying here too." Laughter....oh one kid might really be studying English.
The teacher walks in and looks at the responses.
"I'm Dying? Who said that!? You're NOT dying! Who said that?"
Ohhhh crap. Is it really that bad of an answer? I thought it was rather creative. Not wanting to give it away I point to a general vacinity of the room and just say, "Hmm, I'm not sure but I think it came from this side of the room. But if I could add. I AM dying, slowly...very slowly...hopefully very very slowly." Teacher laughs and moves on. WHEW! That was a close one. For the rest of the class I just walk the rows and check the student's spelling and ask kids how their leisure reading is going. Half of them think they're being sneaky by sticking the book 1/2 in their desk... I'd be reading a book too if I were them. As I continue walking, the kid who tossed the little student at me earlier stops me:
Him: Japanese Japanese Japanese....that I can't understand
Me: "Ummm...." puzzled look.
Him: same thing...more slowly....
Me: "Wakaranai" That came in handy.
Him: Looking very troubled..."wakaranai..." Looking around he starts asking the kids how to say it in English. Finally he just shouts out, "Tabata teacher tabata teacher" Yes, sadly the kids think that in English you say teacher after the teacher's name. He then asks his question.
Tabata-sensei: "Mrs. Jones, he wants to know if you like frogs"
Me: Um, sure...
He smiles happily.
Okay, what an awesome end to a long week! But NEXT week, I'll get to swim. This time, I'm not asking! I was told it'd be okay next week, so damn if I'm going to risk being given another ambiguous answer!!
