Friday, March 04, 2005
"Have you ever used chopsticks?"
I spent the morning at the elementary school and I think I may be the first gaijin to be told I'm not so good at chopsticks. That’s not actually what they said. They asked “Have you ever used chopsticks?” and I’m not sure which is more embarrassing.
The Story:
I asked to eat lunch with the kids after the lessons and so we all gathered around the floor tables and sat in seza (painful legs under body position) for lunch. I usually eat with wooden chopsticks, but because I'm packing my own bento nowadays I also bring my own plastic chopsticks. Well, plastic is not quite as gripping as wood, and I had a few slippery foods in my box. I dropped probably two pieces of food—a gyoza (pot sticker) and something else. They weren’t huge drops, just back into my own box, but they didn’t go unnoticed. The 6th grade teacher asked me after lunch (on behalf of the students, probably), “Do you use chopsticks everyday?” I didn’t realize where he was going with this, but I soon found out he meant, “It looks like this is your first time.” Geez…
Next Story (with a good quote):
“How long has your electricity been out?” Miyamoto-san asked me this morning. “Since Tuesday,” I replied.
So, I guess four days is sort of a long time to be without electricity, but it was just in my kitchen so I didn’t mind too much. I used an extension cord from the living room to plug in the fridge and cooked by the light of the laundry room. I have a gas stove and if I ever needed the toaster, I just moved it to the living room.
I got it fixed today anyway. Miyamoto-san came out to my apartment to show me where the breakers are. If I had known all I needed to do was lift the plate off the main breaker to get to the three individual breakers I could have fixed it a lot sooner. But I didn’t, and I made do without.
Following my streak of bad luck, I just plugged in my external HD which I brought from home from Christmas. It had a bunch of archived photos, (anything before 1999 (Yes, I had a digital camera before ’99.)) all my college video/editing files and examples of my work, (I don’t know where another copy is, but I think I have one. I hope I have one.) and most devastating, my college website (Good Grief—Learning to Cope with Grief and Alzheimer’s Disease). Not sure how many of you out there have seen it, but I was so proud of that website! I wanted to get it back on the web (since they took it off the Linfield server after I graduated) while I was here in Japan. It was one of my major goals, actually.
Well, as you can probably guess at this point, it’s all gone. Erased off the HD. Probably. I’m not freaking out about it too much, which means I probably haven’t really accepted the fact that it’s all gone. This happened to my previous external HD (also a Lacie piece of crap) but some genius at the Mac Store was able to get it back for me. Maybe I’m still hanging onto a thread of hope that “gone” on a computer doesn’t always mean “gone” like in a fire or flood. If you’re lucky, you can get it back unharmed. But when I plug it in, it asks to initialize, ignore or eject. That’s a bad sign. I know that much.
I’m getting a visitor this weekend! Peter’s coming out to Kamigoto!! He’ll be here tonight between 5-7 p.m. He’ll call me when he knows what ferry he’s taking and when it arrives. I’m really excited about showing someone around my little home. Daniel’s the only one who’s really seen it beside the other Kamigoto kids, of course. It’s supposed to snow this weekend, but I don't really mind. I’ve got lots of kerosene for the heater and a kotatsu for two! We’re going to karate tonight. Peter is a brown belt in his style of karate and he wants to see mine. I hope we can spar! Not really. I only sort of like sparring. I like wearing the getup and trying to attack people, but you only get to do one or the other.
Yesterday I got seriously back into triathlon training. I went swimming and after talking and playing around in the pool for about an hour I decided I should actually do something. Then I worked really hard. I talked to Tanabe and Shigehisa (pool buddies) for a long time too. I haven’t seen them in weeks now since I’ve been slacking. Shigehisa was so happy to see me. He thought something was seriously wrong with me when he didn’t see me for five days! Then Tanabe and I talked for almost an hour while I shriveled up like a prune in the pool. I learned so much about him though! He’s just as sweet as everyone says he is—and he’s starting to open up in English as well. I’m just happy when he tries and he’s not embarrassed to try with me anymore because I’m obviously making a fool out of myself in Japanese regularly.
Anyway, he wants to be a teacher. A high school P.E. teacher. He’s been taking the prefecture teacher test every year for three years, but he has not passed yet. (The way teachers become teachers here seems really backwards, but basically it’s like this. You go to college, get your degree in teaching, then after you graduate you take a test to get a job in your prefecture (or state). The number of job openings in the prefecture each year equal the same number of people who “pass” the test. If there’s only one P.E. teacher opening in Nagasaki prefecture this year, only one person passes—no matter how many apply. Same for all subjects in all prefectures. You only get to take the test once a year, and I’m pretty sure in only one prefecture. You just gotta hope this is your lucky year. If you don’t pass and become a full-time teacher, I think you can start applying for part-time positions or a job doing something else. Once you become a teacher, however, your job is secured basically until retirement or you move out of the prefecture. This is the way I understand it at least. It’s probably oversimplified, but if there’s any major errors, someone out there please set me straight.) Almost this whole paragraph was in parenthesis. Wow.
So Tanabe has been life-guarding and teaching swim lessons for the last three years while he studies and takes this annual test. I don’t know how many people are trying to become P.E. teachers in Nagasaki every year, but my guess is significantly more than there are positions. Hatakeyama-sensei told me the year he tried to become an English teacher, there were only two positions open in all of Nagasaki prefecture. He and one of his friends from college got them. He said he was very lucky.
Tanabe has not given up yet. This weekend he’s going to Nagasaki, actually, to take a class and practice for the test. I think they administer every June. Maybe I’m totally wrong on that though, it doesn't seem right. This is the same test that Koichiro is constantly studying for as well. This is why he has no life. Hopefully Tanabe doesn’t take studying that seriously. I’d like to think he has a life. Tanabe and I also talked about Fukuoka, where he went to college, and argued the best place to eat ramen. He loves baseball; has been playing since elementary school and still has a team he practices with!! We talked about smoking and it's horrible effects on your health. I asked him if he smokes and he said "a little" and before I could even tell him how horrible it is, he said he's trying to stop, or he's quiting, or something. A physical education teacher who smokes...can you believe it? But, it was fun to get to know him and we've agreed to hang out sometime, however "itsuka to obake wa deta kotonai" is the phrase that comes to mind.
I got a present from my friend Gavin in Portland yesterday. He sent me an oversized photo of my mom, George and I hanging out in his apartment this Christmas. It’s a really great shot, with all of us hanging over each other and intertwined. It’s cool. Thanks Gavin!!! I’m not sure I can frame it professionally, but I’ll try to fashion something myself here. It’ll look great in my apartment.
Okay, going to post so I can go pick up Peter!!
Love, Sierra
Still no pictures from me, but maybe this weekend if Peter brings his camera along.
Here’s my seester!
The Story:
I asked to eat lunch with the kids after the lessons and so we all gathered around the floor tables and sat in seza (painful legs under body position) for lunch. I usually eat with wooden chopsticks, but because I'm packing my own bento nowadays I also bring my own plastic chopsticks. Well, plastic is not quite as gripping as wood, and I had a few slippery foods in my box. I dropped probably two pieces of food—a gyoza (pot sticker) and something else. They weren’t huge drops, just back into my own box, but they didn’t go unnoticed. The 6th grade teacher asked me after lunch (on behalf of the students, probably), “Do you use chopsticks everyday?” I didn’t realize where he was going with this, but I soon found out he meant, “It looks like this is your first time.” Geez…
Next Story (with a good quote):
“How long has your electricity been out?” Miyamoto-san asked me this morning. “Since Tuesday,” I replied.
So, I guess four days is sort of a long time to be without electricity, but it was just in my kitchen so I didn’t mind too much. I used an extension cord from the living room to plug in the fridge and cooked by the light of the laundry room. I have a gas stove and if I ever needed the toaster, I just moved it to the living room.
I got it fixed today anyway. Miyamoto-san came out to my apartment to show me where the breakers are. If I had known all I needed to do was lift the plate off the main breaker to get to the three individual breakers I could have fixed it a lot sooner. But I didn’t, and I made do without.
Following my streak of bad luck, I just plugged in my external HD which I brought from home from Christmas. It had a bunch of archived photos, (anything before 1999 (Yes, I had a digital camera before ’99.)) all my college video/editing files and examples of my work, (I don’t know where another copy is, but I think I have one. I hope I have one.) and most devastating, my college website (Good Grief—Learning to Cope with Grief and Alzheimer’s Disease). Not sure how many of you out there have seen it, but I was so proud of that website! I wanted to get it back on the web (since they took it off the Linfield server after I graduated) while I was here in Japan. It was one of my major goals, actually.
Well, as you can probably guess at this point, it’s all gone. Erased off the HD. Probably. I’m not freaking out about it too much, which means I probably haven’t really accepted the fact that it’s all gone. This happened to my previous external HD (also a Lacie piece of crap) but some genius at the Mac Store was able to get it back for me. Maybe I’m still hanging onto a thread of hope that “gone” on a computer doesn’t always mean “gone” like in a fire or flood. If you’re lucky, you can get it back unharmed. But when I plug it in, it asks to initialize, ignore or eject. That’s a bad sign. I know that much.
I’m getting a visitor this weekend! Peter’s coming out to Kamigoto!! He’ll be here tonight between 5-7 p.m. He’ll call me when he knows what ferry he’s taking and when it arrives. I’m really excited about showing someone around my little home. Daniel’s the only one who’s really seen it beside the other Kamigoto kids, of course. It’s supposed to snow this weekend, but I don't really mind. I’ve got lots of kerosene for the heater and a kotatsu for two! We’re going to karate tonight. Peter is a brown belt in his style of karate and he wants to see mine. I hope we can spar! Not really. I only sort of like sparring. I like wearing the getup and trying to attack people, but you only get to do one or the other.
Yesterday I got seriously back into triathlon training. I went swimming and after talking and playing around in the pool for about an hour I decided I should actually do something. Then I worked really hard. I talked to Tanabe and Shigehisa (pool buddies) for a long time too. I haven’t seen them in weeks now since I’ve been slacking. Shigehisa was so happy to see me. He thought something was seriously wrong with me when he didn’t see me for five days! Then Tanabe and I talked for almost an hour while I shriveled up like a prune in the pool. I learned so much about him though! He’s just as sweet as everyone says he is—and he’s starting to open up in English as well. I’m just happy when he tries and he’s not embarrassed to try with me anymore because I’m obviously making a fool out of myself in Japanese regularly.
Anyway, he wants to be a teacher. A high school P.E. teacher. He’s been taking the prefecture teacher test every year for three years, but he has not passed yet. (The way teachers become teachers here seems really backwards, but basically it’s like this. You go to college, get your degree in teaching, then after you graduate you take a test to get a job in your prefecture (or state). The number of job openings in the prefecture each year equal the same number of people who “pass” the test. If there’s only one P.E. teacher opening in Nagasaki prefecture this year, only one person passes—no matter how many apply. Same for all subjects in all prefectures. You only get to take the test once a year, and I’m pretty sure in only one prefecture. You just gotta hope this is your lucky year. If you don’t pass and become a full-time teacher, I think you can start applying for part-time positions or a job doing something else. Once you become a teacher, however, your job is secured basically until retirement or you move out of the prefecture. This is the way I understand it at least. It’s probably oversimplified, but if there’s any major errors, someone out there please set me straight.) Almost this whole paragraph was in parenthesis. Wow.
So Tanabe has been life-guarding and teaching swim lessons for the last three years while he studies and takes this annual test. I don’t know how many people are trying to become P.E. teachers in Nagasaki every year, but my guess is significantly more than there are positions. Hatakeyama-sensei told me the year he tried to become an English teacher, there were only two positions open in all of Nagasaki prefecture. He and one of his friends from college got them. He said he was very lucky.
Tanabe has not given up yet. This weekend he’s going to Nagasaki, actually, to take a class and practice for the test. I think they administer every June. Maybe I’m totally wrong on that though, it doesn't seem right. This is the same test that Koichiro is constantly studying for as well. This is why he has no life. Hopefully Tanabe doesn’t take studying that seriously. I’d like to think he has a life. Tanabe and I also talked about Fukuoka, where he went to college, and argued the best place to eat ramen. He loves baseball; has been playing since elementary school and still has a team he practices with!! We talked about smoking and it's horrible effects on your health. I asked him if he smokes and he said "a little" and before I could even tell him how horrible it is, he said he's trying to stop, or he's quiting, or something. A physical education teacher who smokes...can you believe it? But, it was fun to get to know him and we've agreed to hang out sometime, however "itsuka to obake wa deta kotonai" is the phrase that comes to mind.
I got a present from my friend Gavin in Portland yesterday. He sent me an oversized photo of my mom, George and I hanging out in his apartment this Christmas. It’s a really great shot, with all of us hanging over each other and intertwined. It’s cool. Thanks Gavin!!! I’m not sure I can frame it professionally, but I’ll try to fashion something myself here. It’ll look great in my apartment.
Okay, going to post so I can go pick up Peter!!
Love, Sierra
Still no pictures from me, but maybe this weekend if Peter brings his camera along.
Here’s my seester!
My Aunt Lynne with my favorite red-head and the smartest cat in the world.
Elsie has a NUMMY! She’s no longer a neglected puppy, thanks to our good friends at Nummy Anonymous.
Some bags my mom made.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
333
I’m just posting away today. I have some exciting news to share from tonight’s enkai! My friend Masami is pregnant!! (The woman in the career center at Nakako who passed me the Nice Day Bento job.) We’ve been talking about her wanting to have a baby a lot recently, so I wrote on her good-bye CD, “I can’t wait for you to have your baby so I can come babysit and teach ‘little Sierra’ English.” Ironically, she was pregnant at the time I wrote that even though I had no idea! She’s already in her 3rd month, but she was waiting to announce it once she had her most recent doctor’s appointment and had her last day of work (which was yesterday).
This is so exciting because she is due on September 27th—just 3 days before my birthday! We’ve decided Masami’s lucky number is 3 because she is 33 years old, she’s 3 months pregnant, and I think there were some other significant 3s in her story that got lost in translation. Nakayama-sensei guessed the baby would weigh 3,333 grams at birth. It’s name should be mittsuko (third child—but it’s not the third, it’s the first), but I recommended something more like “Sierra.” Masami actually started considering something with “shie” the first two sounds of my Japanese name! I’m so excited to get to experience the arrival of a baby in Japan!!!
Omedeto Masami and Kazuya!!!
Tonight kyoto-sensei was really funny. The enkai was up north so we took a taxi home and I sat in the back with him. We were laughing and talking nonsense the whole time. Mostly he was telling me how I should make the students repeat me over the radio more. I did it once last year and he LOVED it—wants me to do it every time now! I don’t want to over-do it ‘cause it could get just annoying.
Also, I discussed my ideas for teaching 1-2A alone with Hatakeyama-sensei in the car on the way up and he seems totally up for it! He said, "Whenever you have a good idea, Sierra, I will use it." Yeah!! I'm so excited! This pends approval from a higher source, however, so still is not definite.
Oh, and last Saturday I went to a nabe party with a few teachers and their families at Nakanoura Bay. Nabe is a fish and vegetable soup eaten in the winter. The meal was on a “house boat” for lack of a better word. It’s like a garage floating on the water where they clean fish and do…whatever fishermen do when they’re not fishing. Like make pearls. It’s a little pearl plant. I got a lesson on how pearls are made (when they’re not made naturally) and even got to take a few sakashell beads home. Sakashell is what the pearls are before they are pearls. I thought of this tonight because Satomi was able to really explain the process to me so I understood how it works. Harvesting happens in December and the man who owns this houseboat has invited me to come watch and help. I’m really looking forward to it. The man is really sweet—and he has really nice teeth, so good I had to mention them. It’s just a hobby for him. Not the teeth, the pearls. He likes to make his wife pearl jewelry! There are so many awesome opportunities for me here: scuba-diving, karate, yachting, and pearl manufacturing. I love Japan!
Love, Sierra
This is so exciting because she is due on September 27th—just 3 days before my birthday! We’ve decided Masami’s lucky number is 3 because she is 33 years old, she’s 3 months pregnant, and I think there were some other significant 3s in her story that got lost in translation. Nakayama-sensei guessed the baby would weigh 3,333 grams at birth. It’s name should be mittsuko (third child—but it’s not the third, it’s the first), but I recommended something more like “Sierra.” Masami actually started considering something with “shie” the first two sounds of my Japanese name! I’m so excited to get to experience the arrival of a baby in Japan!!!
Omedeto Masami and Kazuya!!!
Tonight kyoto-sensei was really funny. The enkai was up north so we took a taxi home and I sat in the back with him. We were laughing and talking nonsense the whole time. Mostly he was telling me how I should make the students repeat me over the radio more. I did it once last year and he LOVED it—wants me to do it every time now! I don’t want to over-do it ‘cause it could get just annoying.
Also, I discussed my ideas for teaching 1-2A alone with Hatakeyama-sensei in the car on the way up and he seems totally up for it! He said, "Whenever you have a good idea, Sierra, I will use it." Yeah!! I'm so excited! This pends approval from a higher source, however, so still is not definite.
Oh, and last Saturday I went to a nabe party with a few teachers and their families at Nakanoura Bay. Nabe is a fish and vegetable soup eaten in the winter. The meal was on a “house boat” for lack of a better word. It’s like a garage floating on the water where they clean fish and do…whatever fishermen do when they’re not fishing. Like make pearls. It’s a little pearl plant. I got a lesson on how pearls are made (when they’re not made naturally) and even got to take a few sakashell beads home. Sakashell is what the pearls are before they are pearls. I thought of this tonight because Satomi was able to really explain the process to me so I understood how it works. Harvesting happens in December and the man who owns this houseboat has invited me to come watch and help. I’m really looking forward to it. The man is really sweet—and he has really nice teeth, so good I had to mention them. It’s just a hobby for him. Not the teeth, the pearls. He likes to make his wife pearl jewelry! There are so many awesome opportunities for me here: scuba-diving, karate, yachting, and pearl manufacturing. I love Japan!
Love, Sierra
Graduation Day
Today was the graduation ceremony at Nakako. It was pretty stoic to be honest. No throwing off caps or cheering, but polite applauds and lots of bowing. It was very respectful, don’t get me wrong, but it hardly seemed like a joyous occasion. Everyone told me the celebrating would come later. I did get to sing the school song though. I’ve heard it several times, but I don’t have the words. Yesterday Nakano-sensei finally wrote them down for me and I was able to (sort of) sing along with them. Afterward Nonaka-sensei asked me what I thought of the ceremony and Takeda-sensei answered for me, “Like an army.” I could not have said it better.
But, once the two hours of bowing and speeches were over, all the seniors got their yearbooks and came to the staffroom for signatures. At first no one was asking me to sign; I thought maybe they were too nervous and no one would. But then, Kota Sakimoto came and asked me to write and even take our picture together. It was really sweet. After he asked, everyone came and starting asking. He broke the ice and I was signing away in students’ books who’d I’d never even taught before!
I was so proud of Kota. I would have been happy if he was the only student who asked me to write in his yearbook. He has always been one of my favorite students—I have a thousand favorites, don’t I? I really like them all. But, if I were a 17-year-old high school girl I’m sure I’d have a crush on him. After writing he shook my hand and said, “Eigo de dekinai. Demo honto ni arigato gozaimasu.” (I can’t say it in English, but honestly, thank you so much.) He was so nervous he was shaking, eyes darting around the room. I knew exactly what he felt like and was so pleased by his bravery. Foreigners are scary.
There’s only one senior English class that I teach and Kota is in it. It’s is not in the highest class, but he sure does try. I have a lot of respect for the students who are brave enough to speak to me outside of class. They are few and far between. He wrote in my yearbook that he didn’t have an aptitude towards English, but that I came to class and made it fun. Now he likes to study English and understands why it is important! Doesn’t it break your heart? Well, probably not, but it breaks mine. He was so special. I will miss him a lot. I gave him my address and he said he will send me the picture of us together. He’s going to work for a ship-building company in Hiroshima. He leaves at the end of the month. He’s going off to be an adult. I hope I see him around town, but if not, at least I get to continue teaching his sister at the elementary school. She’s a 4th grader at Wakamatsu Higashi Elementary and is as adorable as Kota.
Actually, a lot of students wrote that they wish they talked to me more. I know when I walk down the hall sometimes I see students are gathering up the courage to say something to me. If I notice this, I will slow down and smile knowingly, but almost without fail they get scared and shake their heads like they already know what’s coming. If I continue walking, they just sort of watch me pass and then regret that they didn’t say anything. At least that’s what they write in our class notebooks and the yearbook. A few juniors and several sophomores will talk to me, but I teach them more often so it’s understandable they are more comfortable with me.
Today was a really great day. It’s not quite the end of the school year yet—seniors graduate about a month before the end of the term. The closing ceremony is on March 24th and the new school year starts on April 8th. I’m really looking forward to the new sophomores coming in, and a new set of classes. Currently I teach 3 sophomore classes, 2 junior classes and 1 senior class per week, if I’m lucky… and I’m usually not. There are about 40 English classes each week so I’m teaching very few. Satomi is a part time teacher and she has 8 classes a week, 2 more than me. Do I feel underutilized or what? It’s the plight of probably all ALTs in Japan though. Overpaid, under-worked. I do plenty of other things besides teaching class. My radio shows, my bulletin board, tutoring students after class, class notebooks (writing back and forth to students in a notebook) helping students with speech contests, pronunciation of English songs, whatever they come to me with. And at the junior high I teach all six periods on Tuesdays, but I can do more.
So I’ve asked for more classes next year and Hatakeyama-sensei is more than happy to give them to me. He’s going to let me be a part of class scheduling during spring break in late March. The current sophomores are the first who will have listening comprehension on their college entrance exams (Now entrance exams only have reading and writing sections and so college-bound students don’t have “time” for classes with me.) With listening comprehension on the tests now, there’s a “need” for a native speaker in the high-level classes. I’m really glad because I’m not supposed to teach my favorite class of sophomores next year as juniors. They are supposed to hit the books hard with grammar!
I often teach classes alone, as the Japanese teachers are so busy with 18-22 classes a week, so I asked if I could officially teach one or two classes alone next year. Hakateyama-sensei said officially no, but he’s willing to put team-teaching on the schedule and just let me go alone. It would be nice to be in charge of everything—lesson plans, quizzes, tests and grades. I’m getting all sorts of ideas for an aural comprehension class so I really hope I get to. My sister just sent me a CD by Legibly Speaking, a band which orates stories to music. They are kind of interviews with elderly people and it is about the right difficulty level for the upper classes. Besides, I think I would take classes more seriously—fewer random games and more structured, congruent classes—if it was entirely my responsibility. I don't want to get too in over my head, but this one class in particular, 1-2A, would be a pleasure to teach alone. I love them as if they were my own children trying to get into college.
Moving on to other news. My mom has confirmed her visit and will be in Japan for three weeks! March 31st to April 21st or thereabouts. She’s going to be on my island mostly because I have to work, but I’ll take a couple days off so we can spend time in Fukuoka and another city—we haven’t decided where yet. I’m really looking forward to seeing her and showing her every inch of this island. She’s going to love it.
My Golden Week plans are also finalized. (April 29th-May 11th) Peter and I will be going on a hitchhiking tour of Kyushu (the southern main island of Japan), visiting all seven prefectures and visiting three tourist spots in each one. Things like climbing Mt. Aso, or taking an onsen in a famous hot spring. It’s actually a charity hitchhike so we’ll be raising money to build a school or library in Cambodia or Nepal—or both. It’s a lot cheaper than my plan to go to Sri Lanka and it seems more reasonable anyway. Peter and I are looking forward to spending some time together (me exploiting him for his Japanese) and learning about where we live. Japan has so much to see, why do I need to go anywhere else for these 11 days?
Well, it’s 5 p.m. and I’m still at school. I’ve been staying here really late recently—until 6 or 7 p.m.—mostly studying and lesson planning for the elementary school visits. I don’t have to stay, but I would just be doing the same things in my apartment anyway. Tonight I have an enkai and so it’ll be a late night as well. Wow! It starts in an hour so I better go home! This is me…signing out!
Love, Sierra
But, once the two hours of bowing and speeches were over, all the seniors got their yearbooks and came to the staffroom for signatures. At first no one was asking me to sign; I thought maybe they were too nervous and no one would. But then, Kota Sakimoto came and asked me to write and even take our picture together. It was really sweet. After he asked, everyone came and starting asking. He broke the ice and I was signing away in students’ books who’d I’d never even taught before!
I was so proud of Kota. I would have been happy if he was the only student who asked me to write in his yearbook. He has always been one of my favorite students—I have a thousand favorites, don’t I? I really like them all. But, if I were a 17-year-old high school girl I’m sure I’d have a crush on him. After writing he shook my hand and said, “Eigo de dekinai. Demo honto ni arigato gozaimasu.” (I can’t say it in English, but honestly, thank you so much.) He was so nervous he was shaking, eyes darting around the room. I knew exactly what he felt like and was so pleased by his bravery. Foreigners are scary.
There’s only one senior English class that I teach and Kota is in it. It’s is not in the highest class, but he sure does try. I have a lot of respect for the students who are brave enough to speak to me outside of class. They are few and far between. He wrote in my yearbook that he didn’t have an aptitude towards English, but that I came to class and made it fun. Now he likes to study English and understands why it is important! Doesn’t it break your heart? Well, probably not, but it breaks mine. He was so special. I will miss him a lot. I gave him my address and he said he will send me the picture of us together. He’s going to work for a ship-building company in Hiroshima. He leaves at the end of the month. He’s going off to be an adult. I hope I see him around town, but if not, at least I get to continue teaching his sister at the elementary school. She’s a 4th grader at Wakamatsu Higashi Elementary and is as adorable as Kota.
Actually, a lot of students wrote that they wish they talked to me more. I know when I walk down the hall sometimes I see students are gathering up the courage to say something to me. If I notice this, I will slow down and smile knowingly, but almost without fail they get scared and shake their heads like they already know what’s coming. If I continue walking, they just sort of watch me pass and then regret that they didn’t say anything. At least that’s what they write in our class notebooks and the yearbook. A few juniors and several sophomores will talk to me, but I teach them more often so it’s understandable they are more comfortable with me.
Today was a really great day. It’s not quite the end of the school year yet—seniors graduate about a month before the end of the term. The closing ceremony is on March 24th and the new school year starts on April 8th. I’m really looking forward to the new sophomores coming in, and a new set of classes. Currently I teach 3 sophomore classes, 2 junior classes and 1 senior class per week, if I’m lucky… and I’m usually not. There are about 40 English classes each week so I’m teaching very few. Satomi is a part time teacher and she has 8 classes a week, 2 more than me. Do I feel underutilized or what? It’s the plight of probably all ALTs in Japan though. Overpaid, under-worked. I do plenty of other things besides teaching class. My radio shows, my bulletin board, tutoring students after class, class notebooks (writing back and forth to students in a notebook) helping students with speech contests, pronunciation of English songs, whatever they come to me with. And at the junior high I teach all six periods on Tuesdays, but I can do more.
So I’ve asked for more classes next year and Hatakeyama-sensei is more than happy to give them to me. He’s going to let me be a part of class scheduling during spring break in late March. The current sophomores are the first who will have listening comprehension on their college entrance exams (Now entrance exams only have reading and writing sections and so college-bound students don’t have “time” for classes with me.) With listening comprehension on the tests now, there’s a “need” for a native speaker in the high-level classes. I’m really glad because I’m not supposed to teach my favorite class of sophomores next year as juniors. They are supposed to hit the books hard with grammar!
I often teach classes alone, as the Japanese teachers are so busy with 18-22 classes a week, so I asked if I could officially teach one or two classes alone next year. Hakateyama-sensei said officially no, but he’s willing to put team-teaching on the schedule and just let me go alone. It would be nice to be in charge of everything—lesson plans, quizzes, tests and grades. I’m getting all sorts of ideas for an aural comprehension class so I really hope I get to. My sister just sent me a CD by Legibly Speaking, a band which orates stories to music. They are kind of interviews with elderly people and it is about the right difficulty level for the upper classes. Besides, I think I would take classes more seriously—fewer random games and more structured, congruent classes—if it was entirely my responsibility. I don't want to get too in over my head, but this one class in particular, 1-2A, would be a pleasure to teach alone. I love them as if they were my own children trying to get into college.
Moving on to other news. My mom has confirmed her visit and will be in Japan for three weeks! March 31st to April 21st or thereabouts. She’s going to be on my island mostly because I have to work, but I’ll take a couple days off so we can spend time in Fukuoka and another city—we haven’t decided where yet. I’m really looking forward to seeing her and showing her every inch of this island. She’s going to love it.
My Golden Week plans are also finalized. (April 29th-May 11th) Peter and I will be going on a hitchhiking tour of Kyushu (the southern main island of Japan), visiting all seven prefectures and visiting three tourist spots in each one. Things like climbing Mt. Aso, or taking an onsen in a famous hot spring. It’s actually a charity hitchhike so we’ll be raising money to build a school or library in Cambodia or Nepal—or both. It’s a lot cheaper than my plan to go to Sri Lanka and it seems more reasonable anyway. Peter and I are looking forward to spending some time together (me exploiting him for his Japanese) and learning about where we live. Japan has so much to see, why do I need to go anywhere else for these 11 days?
Well, it’s 5 p.m. and I’m still at school. I’ve been staying here really late recently—until 6 or 7 p.m.—mostly studying and lesson planning for the elementary school visits. I don’t have to stay, but I would just be doing the same things in my apartment anyway. Tonight I have an enkai and so it’ll be a late night as well. Wow! It starts in an hour so I better go home! This is me…signing out!
Love, Sierra
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Documented Afterall
Another quick post before I go to bed early tonight. I have some pictures I want to post that I found this weekend on the AJET website. These are from a Halloween party that I went to in Sasebo. This is the night I met Peter and I was kind of disappointed because I didn’t take any pictures, but it was documented afterall!
This is Peter, Mayumi (I think, I don't actually know her) and me at Sasebo’s Halloween Party.
This is Peter, Mayumi (I think, I don't actually know her) and me at Sasebo’s Halloween Party.
This is someone and Danielle, the Queen Bee, who lives in Hirado. I stayed with her for a couple nights on that Halloween weekend. She’s really sweet.
I’ll also give you the link for a website that I’ve been going to regularly for about a month now. It’s called Dooce.com. It’s just some average woman’s blog, but it’s read by hundreds (or thousands?) of people. Kerry introduced it to me and as it turns out that Laura and Yuka also have been reading it for a while. So, don't be left out next time you hear the name Heather Armstrong!
Here’s just a funny picture that I got off the Nagasaki listserve. It says “Abunai” or “Danger.”
I don’t know why I’m posting this picture actually. It’s me in November 2003, at Linfield’s International Food Festival, which I organized as the club president. That’s my mom in green, me, and my little—I better say younger, because he’s no longer little—brother, James. The two girls in front are also my cousins who came down to support me as well. I was just looking through old pictures this weekend and this one brought back good memories.
I better mention that a few minutes ago I had written that I was wearing a "sari" but actually, as my new internet friend, Sageraj, just corrected me, it's actually a "salwar kamzee." So here I am in my salwar kamzee.
My mom’s Valentine’s Day gift from a friend. Awesome tea cup, huh?
Some of my mom’s most recent art.
The last picture, I hope it’s alright to post, is Peter. He’s steamy!
Today I went on a hike with Yuka. We went to the highest viewpoint in her town, Arikawa. We were going to go for a drive, but I didn’t have much gas in my car and it’s a Sunday. No gas stations are open. We went on this hike instead and it was so much better. The weather was really beautiful—almost warm today. Walking up the hill we kept warm anyway. I got a really good view of our island and other islands in the Goto chain. I also got a good view of the tallest mountain on the island, near Nakanoura Bay. We want to climb that one soon too. I bet the view from there is amazing too!
Graduation is this week on Tuesday. Seniors will be going out into the world!!
Love, Sierra
