In addition to the lotion disaster earlier this week, I am frustrated over the events of today. It is Saturday in Japan. Originally, we were supposed to have our sports festival today.
There was a light drizzle outside, but I didn't think anything of it (since they still have school in a typhoon). When I got to school, I discovered that the festival was canceled, but that we were going to have our normal Monday schedule instead (the festival would be moved to Monday). Everyone else seemed to know what was going on except me. It was so frustrating!
I was dressed in a t-shirt and capris (not acceptable for classroom attire) but it was over-looked today. I was frustrated because nobody told me what was going on.
Also, most of the teachers didn't use me today (I went to two classes). I have been fighting a terrible head cold, so at 12:30, I asked if I could go home. I was told that I would have to use 4 hours paid-time off to do so. I agreed. First of all, IT'S A SATURDAY! Why do I need to use PTO for a Saturday? Second, I only had 3 1/2 hours remaining of my work day, so why do I have to take 4 hours? Lastly, why couldn't somebody call me to tell me that there had been a change? I would have dressed appropriately. Our school has 3 English teachers, plus a few others who can speak English. Is it really that difficult to keep me informed?
The good news though, is that I was allowed to go home early. This enabled me to get some much needed rest. I slept for almost 3 hours.
I think that I am pretty much going to veg until Monday. On Monday, we are supposed to try again for the sports festival. I think that, no matter what, I will take a change of clothes with me. I will be prepared!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
faux pas
It's been awhile since I have written anything. Life has been very busy.
The speech contest is over. It seems strange to think that I, the person who has rarely succeeded in giving a speech, would be chosen to help so many students. There were seven from my school and several from other schools that I had a hand with helping. It was fun because, of those who placed, we spent time with all but one before school started. It was very rewarding.
Helping for the speech contest was valuable in many ways, but I am most grateful for the chance to get to know some of the students better.
Another benefit of helping with the speech contest, was that I earned extra time off. Yesterday was a holiday here, so I took Friday off and went to visit Angel. I rode the bullet train (Shinkansen) for the first time. It was a lot of fun. Just imagine being able to go from Seattle to Boise by train in less than 2 hours. That is what is was like.
I had fun with Angel. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe, we went shopping, I went to my first Japanese movie theater (to see Fantastic 4), we went to the sports festival at one of Angel's elementary schools, and we went to Jusco.
We also got to pass the Christmas Tree Love Hotel. It was a sight to see. The worst part was when we were going to the mall, people were passing out fliers. Among them, there was a coupon for the love hotel with a piece of candy attached to the coupon. It was a candy penis. I kid you not.
Anyway, Angel and I did a lot and spent a lot of money. It was fun.
I was really tired when I came home though. I am fighting a cold, but I think that I am losing. The last time I was sick was winter quarter at school. I am drinking a lot of liquids and trying to get some rest. (HA!)
I know that I am getting sick, because I'm a little more sensitive than usual. Today before class, I put on some scented lotion. After class, I was reprimanded by the teacher because "It is not Japanese custom to wear perfumes." I explained that I was not wearing perfume, but that I had put on lotion after handling the chalk. She then explained that the students didn't like the smell. (Really? They kept asking me for some). Actually, I think that they are afraid that I might influence the students to wear perfume. I also think that one of the older teachers is the one who found my lotion offensive. Whatever. I will refrain from wearing lotion (that you can buy all over Japan! What was that about it NOT being a custom?) and go about with dry hands. I will, however, draw the line at deodorant. I know that it is generally not a custom to wear deodorant in Japan except sometimes in the summer. I WILL NOT YIELD if they ask me to quit wearing that too. At first, I took this chastisement personally, but then I decided that if that is all they have to complain about, then I shouldn't worry. I was just glad that I chose to wear only one pair of earrings to school today. That could have easily been an issue. The students are not allowed to wear earrings, so most of the teachers do not wear them. I have triple piercings and a cartilage piercing. It's a good thing that the tongue ring is gone.
Oh well. Right now I am focusing on planning my vacation in Hawaii. I am also weighing the pros and cons of re-contracting for one more year.
I really like the idea of going to Hawaii.
The speech contest is over. It seems strange to think that I, the person who has rarely succeeded in giving a speech, would be chosen to help so many students. There were seven from my school and several from other schools that I had a hand with helping. It was fun because, of those who placed, we spent time with all but one before school started. It was very rewarding.
Helping for the speech contest was valuable in many ways, but I am most grateful for the chance to get to know some of the students better.
Another benefit of helping with the speech contest, was that I earned extra time off. Yesterday was a holiday here, so I took Friday off and went to visit Angel. I rode the bullet train (Shinkansen) for the first time. It was a lot of fun. Just imagine being able to go from Seattle to Boise by train in less than 2 hours. That is what is was like.
I had fun with Angel. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe, we went shopping, I went to my first Japanese movie theater (to see Fantastic 4), we went to the sports festival at one of Angel's elementary schools, and we went to Jusco.
We also got to pass the Christmas Tree Love Hotel. It was a sight to see. The worst part was when we were going to the mall, people were passing out fliers. Among them, there was a coupon for the love hotel with a piece of candy attached to the coupon. It was a candy penis. I kid you not.
Anyway, Angel and I did a lot and spent a lot of money. It was fun.
I was really tired when I came home though. I am fighting a cold, but I think that I am losing. The last time I was sick was winter quarter at school. I am drinking a lot of liquids and trying to get some rest. (HA!)
I know that I am getting sick, because I'm a little more sensitive than usual. Today before class, I put on some scented lotion. After class, I was reprimanded by the teacher because "It is not Japanese custom to wear perfumes." I explained that I was not wearing perfume, but that I had put on lotion after handling the chalk. She then explained that the students didn't like the smell. (Really? They kept asking me for some). Actually, I think that they are afraid that I might influence the students to wear perfume. I also think that one of the older teachers is the one who found my lotion offensive. Whatever. I will refrain from wearing lotion (that you can buy all over Japan! What was that about it NOT being a custom?) and go about with dry hands. I will, however, draw the line at deodorant. I know that it is generally not a custom to wear deodorant in Japan except sometimes in the summer. I WILL NOT YIELD if they ask me to quit wearing that too. At first, I took this chastisement personally, but then I decided that if that is all they have to complain about, then I shouldn't worry. I was just glad that I chose to wear only one pair of earrings to school today. That could have easily been an issue. The students are not allowed to wear earrings, so most of the teachers do not wear them. I have triple piercings and a cartilage piercing. It's a good thing that the tongue ring is gone.
Oh well. Right now I am focusing on planning my vacation in Hawaii. I am also weighing the pros and cons of re-contracting for one more year.
I really like the idea of going to Hawaii.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
I'm a Survivor
I have survived the first week of school. Woo Hoo!
This week was challenging, but fun. I already talked about some of the things that happened the first few days of school, but things really got crazy on Thursday.
On Thursday afternoon, I was sitting at my desk between classes when an announcement came on over the school's PA system. It was the vice principal and I knew that this was not usual.
There was a lot of Japanese spoken at a rapid pace and I basically caught "typhoon", "dangerous", "be careful" and then a loud cheer from the students. At this point, a teacher turned to me and said that a typhoon was coming. Before I could ask any questions, he was gone. I thought that maybe school was canceled the next day as a result of the typhoon approaching.
No. Nothing ever gets canceled in Japan. I soon found out that, if there is a typhoon, the students' classes are delayed a bit, but the teachers still come to school at their regular times. Did I mention that I am the only teacher that arrives by bike?
Well, those who know me best, know that I tend to be a clumsy person...there's no denying it. So I was actually worried that I might not make it to school in a typhoon.
Amazingly, I did. I'm really not sure how either. The people who were driving on the roads were not courteous at all to those on foot or bike. Strange, since we were the ones who were getting wet. The wind was blowing hard, the rain was pouring and my hands kept slipping off the handle bars. Added to the fact that I was wearing glasses covered in water and that were fogging up because it was very warm outside. I was also wearing a rain jacket (definitely NOT made for typhoon weather) that the hood would not stay up on because it was too windy. Finally, let us not forget that I was actually being propelled by the wind most of the way to school.
I was very happy that I was not going against the wind, but it was very dangerous being propelled at the speed I was.
I had a few near-misses with mini vans and I managed to take the problem corner at a decent speed so as not to hit the pole. I did have the foresight to wear regular clothes on the way to school and to take a change of clothes with me. Let me tell you, when I got to school, I was sopping wet. I had puddles forming around me.
I then went to find the locker room, and for some reason I couldn't find it. This means that I had to change in the women's bathroom. Normally this wouldn't be too bad, but all this consists of are a bunch of tiny stalls with the squatter toilets inside (yes, the toilets are basically inserted in the floor of the bathroom, so you literally have to squat to use it!). So, here I am, trying to change my clothes that I have to peel off of me, because they are are plastered to me, and I am trying to dance around the toilet while I am changing my clothes and doing all I can not to fall in.
Somehow I managed to complete this unbelievable challenge and make it to my desk on time.
I did twist my previously broken foot a little, so it's been hurting.
I am so happy it's the weekend!
This week was challenging, but fun. I already talked about some of the things that happened the first few days of school, but things really got crazy on Thursday.
On Thursday afternoon, I was sitting at my desk between classes when an announcement came on over the school's PA system. It was the vice principal and I knew that this was not usual.
There was a lot of Japanese spoken at a rapid pace and I basically caught "typhoon", "dangerous", "be careful" and then a loud cheer from the students. At this point, a teacher turned to me and said that a typhoon was coming. Before I could ask any questions, he was gone. I thought that maybe school was canceled the next day as a result of the typhoon approaching.
No. Nothing ever gets canceled in Japan. I soon found out that, if there is a typhoon, the students' classes are delayed a bit, but the teachers still come to school at their regular times. Did I mention that I am the only teacher that arrives by bike?
Well, those who know me best, know that I tend to be a clumsy person...there's no denying it. So I was actually worried that I might not make it to school in a typhoon.
Amazingly, I did. I'm really not sure how either. The people who were driving on the roads were not courteous at all to those on foot or bike. Strange, since we were the ones who were getting wet. The wind was blowing hard, the rain was pouring and my hands kept slipping off the handle bars. Added to the fact that I was wearing glasses covered in water and that were fogging up because it was very warm outside. I was also wearing a rain jacket (definitely NOT made for typhoon weather) that the hood would not stay up on because it was too windy. Finally, let us not forget that I was actually being propelled by the wind most of the way to school.
I was very happy that I was not going against the wind, but it was very dangerous being propelled at the speed I was.
I had a few near-misses with mini vans and I managed to take the problem corner at a decent speed so as not to hit the pole. I did have the foresight to wear regular clothes on the way to school and to take a change of clothes with me. Let me tell you, when I got to school, I was sopping wet. I had puddles forming around me.
I then went to find the locker room, and for some reason I couldn't find it. This means that I had to change in the women's bathroom. Normally this wouldn't be too bad, but all this consists of are a bunch of tiny stalls with the squatter toilets inside (yes, the toilets are basically inserted in the floor of the bathroom, so you literally have to squat to use it!). So, here I am, trying to change my clothes that I have to peel off of me, because they are are plastered to me, and I am trying to dance around the toilet while I am changing my clothes and doing all I can not to fall in.
Somehow I managed to complete this unbelievable challenge and make it to my desk on time.
I did twist my previously broken foot a little, so it's been hurting.
I am so happy it's the weekend!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The Germs Came + Small Face = Lost in Translation
Yeah, I know it's a strange title, but it pretty much sums up a strange day.
As part of my new duties as an ALT, I get to help grade the homework (fun, but tedious). The current group of work that I am grading includes excerpts from Anne Frank's diary. Most of the students wrote about what happened when the Germans came, but one student wrote about the Germs. She didn't just write it once, but she wrote an entire page about the Germs. I normally wouldn't have found this so humorous, but it caught me off guard and it has been a very stressful week already. Normally, I would probably share something like that with someone, but there was nobody in the office I could share it with who would understand it.
I haven't quite figured out the rhyme or reason to it, but several times a day, there is music played over the loud speaker. The past two days consisted of mostly classical music, but today was rather odd. It started out as the theme to Harry Potter and then gradually eased into some J-pop. It finally ended with some metal song. The teachers all acted as if nothing had happened. I don't understand.
Finally, after spending the day giving an introduction to 5 classes and playing bingo with keywords from my introduction, one very shy girl approached me. At first, she was too shy to talk. Her friends kept encouraging her to talk. When she finally spoke, I was taken aback. She said "You have a very small face." I didn't know how to respond, so I finally said "Really?"
She got a little flustered and tried to explain it to me, but because of the language barrier, we gave up. She ended with, "Small faces are very good. You are lucky!"
So, if I ever figure it out, I will definitely update it here.
This week has basically boiled down to so much getting lost in translation. I have so much respect for people who take on a new language and a new culture without giving up. To that, I say "Let's do our best!"
As part of my new duties as an ALT, I get to help grade the homework (fun, but tedious). The current group of work that I am grading includes excerpts from Anne Frank's diary. Most of the students wrote about what happened when the Germans came, but one student wrote about the Germs. She didn't just write it once, but she wrote an entire page about the Germs. I normally wouldn't have found this so humorous, but it caught me off guard and it has been a very stressful week already. Normally, I would probably share something like that with someone, but there was nobody in the office I could share it with who would understand it.
I haven't quite figured out the rhyme or reason to it, but several times a day, there is music played over the loud speaker. The past two days consisted of mostly classical music, but today was rather odd. It started out as the theme to Harry Potter and then gradually eased into some J-pop. It finally ended with some metal song. The teachers all acted as if nothing had happened. I don't understand.
Finally, after spending the day giving an introduction to 5 classes and playing bingo with keywords from my introduction, one very shy girl approached me. At first, she was too shy to talk. Her friends kept encouraging her to talk. When she finally spoke, I was taken aback. She said "You have a very small face." I didn't know how to respond, so I finally said "Really?"
She got a little flustered and tried to explain it to me, but because of the language barrier, we gave up. She ended with, "Small faces are very good. You are lucky!"
So, if I ever figure it out, I will definitely update it here.
This week has basically boiled down to so much getting lost in translation. I have so much respect for people who take on a new language and a new culture without giving up. To that, I say "Let's do our best!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
