Thursday, February 03, 2005
Snow Day
What a beautiful white morning I woke up to on Wednesday!! I didn’t really believe that it gets cold enough to snow here, but indeed it does. Tuesday morning it started snowing, but not sticking very much. Honestly, it didn’t even stick much over the night, but my supervisor told me I didn’t have to drive to work for an extra hour or so unless I wanted to. Narao is on the south-east side of the island and the strong wind and weather usually come up from the south west so during typhoon season we get hit especially bad, and I guess we also got more snow that those living on the north end of the island. Wednesday decided to take the bus to work because the night before as I was turning up the steep hill to my apartments my jeep slid and fish-tailed before getting a good grip on the road. I’m a complete wimp when it comes to driving in the snow so my heart was pounding and I was afraid to shift out of first gear. Better to take it slowly though and I made it home safely.
All the other teachers in Narao also took the bus to work, except my kocho-sensei who walked the hour and a half to school (gasp!) and Koichiro who decided to drive and got his car stuck along the highway because it couldn’t make it up the hill. We had to bail him out 3rd period once the snow melted a little. By 6th period all the snow was gone and Koichiro took me home to get my car so I didn’t have to take the bus home. I mentioned that I was going to go swimming after school and he said, “Oh no, I can’t go today.” but something tells me he did go up to the gym later that night. I ended up staying at school until 6:30 and at everyone’s advice decided not to risk the roads, in case they got worse in the evening again. I can just see melted snow freezing and ice all over place… Anyway, Koichiro’s car was gone until 9 or so and he never leaves the apartment unless it’s to go down to get his Nice Day dinner before 8 p.m. I swear, I’m not stalking him, I just glance out the window when I hear cars.
I wish I could have taken a picture of the snow for you, but alas, my camera STILL is not back from Wolff. I really should be getting it or hearing from them any day now. This weekend Catherine and I are going to Fukue with one of her teachers, Shingo. He’s a young math teacher at Narao’s elementary school who had us over for dinner when DT was here. We’ve both had him over to our houses for dinner now too, and now he wants to show us his home-island. Fukue is the largest island in Gotto-retto and has about 8 (?) ALTs. It’s my first time to visit, but apparently they have really good pork ramen. And since ramen in my new favorite food, I’m preparing my stomach for what’s to come.
My supervisor just called me and told me I didn’t have to come into work today until 9 a.m. I’m using this opportunity to get something posted on my website. I just realized that if I post more often I don’t have to write pages and pages to catch you up on the entire week. They are probably too overwhelming to read anyway, huh? So, today there’s some all-school assembly at Narao’s town hall (we have quite a spectacular auditorium in Narao) because someone’s giving a speech, our seniors are giving a presentation and it all doesn’t start until 9 a.m. It’s much closer to my house too so I don’t have to leave for an hour yet. At noon we’ll go back to Nakako but there are no classes today.
Oh, bad news!! This week I found out that the re-contracting conference for JETs may be the same weekend as the Monster Man Triathlon. Well, the triathlon’s on Sunday, June 5th and the conference will probably be June 6-8. Of course, it’s in Kobe so I’ll have to take that Sunday to travel. Although this is very sad, there’s no way I can (or would want to) get out of the conference. I’m still looking at last year’s dates, however, so it could be on a different weekend and I haven’t totally given up hope. Besides, I really like the way all this training makes me feel so I’m not going to quit working out. I’m really glad I found this out now rather than months into training, but at the same time I feel like I’m chickening out early in the game. Which is why last night I still went up to Aokata to use the gym and have dinner with the four ladies from the north. I saw one of my teachers at the gym, Masuda-sensei. He’s the really quiet math teacher that I had nothing to write about in “Sierra’s Impressions” but he did acknowledge me and we exchanged brief words about why I was working out so hard.
I picked up Kerry at 6:30 p.m. and drove out to Arikawa to get Yuka then we all had dinner together at Kawayasu Ramen in Shinuonome. Oishikata desu! I seriously LOVE that place. I could eat that ramen every night. I made Hakata ramen for my family when I was home for Christmas and it was good, but it’s so much better with the fresh, thinly sliced pork they give you here. The place was packed too, mostly with families from Arikawa because Yuka knew all their kids. We’re taking every opportunity to hang out with Kerry because she has to go back to America next week. Her mom has a serious health issue and she needs to go to support her after surgery. We’re not sure when Kerry’s going to come back to Japan or if she’s going to come back at all. Of course we all hope she does because she’s “the one ALT on the island who gets along with everyone.” (Side note: I thought I got along with everyone too, but Catherine said this to me last week so I guess not.) Nevertheless, we are so sad to see Kerry go.
Oh, I HAVE to mention. There’s this one boy at my junior high school, Shohei, who I’m absolutely in love with. Not in that sick, older woman who wants to date a teenage boy way, but in that he always makes me laugh so much in class. He’s a second year (so like 8th grade) and he’s got so much energy and is so out-going. When we play Jeopardy in class he always raises his hand to stay something—anything—and although I shouldn’t encourage it, I can’t help but laugh. Before I finish asking the question I start smiling because I can see his hang going up and then I’ve lost it. I tried ignoring him but it just makes him more clever with his responses. After the game I came up to him, grabbed his head with both hands, shook it softly and I told him he was my new favorite student. (Like I do with my brother when I told him I love him.) He loves it… and I love it too.
Also, in the first-years’ class, there’s another boy sitting right in front who was acting pretty crazy on Tuesday. We have these cards that I flip through and I read and they repeat. I’m supposed to read them twice, but sometimes my inflection is wrong on the first reading (many are nouns, but then they throw in a “~don’t you?” and I forget it’s a question with different inflection) so I do it a third time and then a forth time, then again and again and I go really fast and change my inflection every time. They get so excited and shout out the words and are practically falling out of their seats. Also, on the words with “r” “l” “th” or “v” I always make them watch my mouth and tell them to stick out their tongue for the “th” sound or make a hard “v” so they don’t end up saying “My faborite shport isu bollyball,” for the rest of their lives. They love to try to get it right—oh how they love to please me!! I love teaching this age!
Well, I’m off to school now.
Love, Sierra
All the other teachers in Narao also took the bus to work, except my kocho-sensei who walked the hour and a half to school (gasp!) and Koichiro who decided to drive and got his car stuck along the highway because it couldn’t make it up the hill. We had to bail him out 3rd period once the snow melted a little. By 6th period all the snow was gone and Koichiro took me home to get my car so I didn’t have to take the bus home. I mentioned that I was going to go swimming after school and he said, “Oh no, I can’t go today.” but something tells me he did go up to the gym later that night. I ended up staying at school until 6:30 and at everyone’s advice decided not to risk the roads, in case they got worse in the evening again. I can just see melted snow freezing and ice all over place… Anyway, Koichiro’s car was gone until 9 or so and he never leaves the apartment unless it’s to go down to get his Nice Day dinner before 8 p.m. I swear, I’m not stalking him, I just glance out the window when I hear cars.
I wish I could have taken a picture of the snow for you, but alas, my camera STILL is not back from Wolff. I really should be getting it or hearing from them any day now. This weekend Catherine and I are going to Fukue with one of her teachers, Shingo. He’s a young math teacher at Narao’s elementary school who had us over for dinner when DT was here. We’ve both had him over to our houses for dinner now too, and now he wants to show us his home-island. Fukue is the largest island in Gotto-retto and has about 8 (?) ALTs. It’s my first time to visit, but apparently they have really good pork ramen. And since ramen in my new favorite food, I’m preparing my stomach for what’s to come.
My supervisor just called me and told me I didn’t have to come into work today until 9 a.m. I’m using this opportunity to get something posted on my website. I just realized that if I post more often I don’t have to write pages and pages to catch you up on the entire week. They are probably too overwhelming to read anyway, huh? So, today there’s some all-school assembly at Narao’s town hall (we have quite a spectacular auditorium in Narao) because someone’s giving a speech, our seniors are giving a presentation and it all doesn’t start until 9 a.m. It’s much closer to my house too so I don’t have to leave for an hour yet. At noon we’ll go back to Nakako but there are no classes today.
Oh, bad news!! This week I found out that the re-contracting conference for JETs may be the same weekend as the Monster Man Triathlon. Well, the triathlon’s on Sunday, June 5th and the conference will probably be June 6-8. Of course, it’s in Kobe so I’ll have to take that Sunday to travel. Although this is very sad, there’s no way I can (or would want to) get out of the conference. I’m still looking at last year’s dates, however, so it could be on a different weekend and I haven’t totally given up hope. Besides, I really like the way all this training makes me feel so I’m not going to quit working out. I’m really glad I found this out now rather than months into training, but at the same time I feel like I’m chickening out early in the game. Which is why last night I still went up to Aokata to use the gym and have dinner with the four ladies from the north. I saw one of my teachers at the gym, Masuda-sensei. He’s the really quiet math teacher that I had nothing to write about in “Sierra’s Impressions” but he did acknowledge me and we exchanged brief words about why I was working out so hard.
I picked up Kerry at 6:30 p.m. and drove out to Arikawa to get Yuka then we all had dinner together at Kawayasu Ramen in Shinuonome. Oishikata desu! I seriously LOVE that place. I could eat that ramen every night. I made Hakata ramen for my family when I was home for Christmas and it was good, but it’s so much better with the fresh, thinly sliced pork they give you here. The place was packed too, mostly with families from Arikawa because Yuka knew all their kids. We’re taking every opportunity to hang out with Kerry because she has to go back to America next week. Her mom has a serious health issue and she needs to go to support her after surgery. We’re not sure when Kerry’s going to come back to Japan or if she’s going to come back at all. Of course we all hope she does because she’s “the one ALT on the island who gets along with everyone.” (Side note: I thought I got along with everyone too, but Catherine said this to me last week so I guess not.) Nevertheless, we are so sad to see Kerry go.
Oh, I HAVE to mention. There’s this one boy at my junior high school, Shohei, who I’m absolutely in love with. Not in that sick, older woman who wants to date a teenage boy way, but in that he always makes me laugh so much in class. He’s a second year (so like 8th grade) and he’s got so much energy and is so out-going. When we play Jeopardy in class he always raises his hand to stay something—anything—and although I shouldn’t encourage it, I can’t help but laugh. Before I finish asking the question I start smiling because I can see his hang going up and then I’ve lost it. I tried ignoring him but it just makes him more clever with his responses. After the game I came up to him, grabbed his head with both hands, shook it softly and I told him he was my new favorite student. (Like I do with my brother when I told him I love him.) He loves it… and I love it too.
Also, in the first-years’ class, there’s another boy sitting right in front who was acting pretty crazy on Tuesday. We have these cards that I flip through and I read and they repeat. I’m supposed to read them twice, but sometimes my inflection is wrong on the first reading (many are nouns, but then they throw in a “~don’t you?” and I forget it’s a question with different inflection) so I do it a third time and then a forth time, then again and again and I go really fast and change my inflection every time. They get so excited and shout out the words and are practically falling out of their seats. Also, on the words with “r” “l” “th” or “v” I always make them watch my mouth and tell them to stick out their tongue for the “th” sound or make a hard “v” so they don’t end up saying “My faborite shport isu bollyball,” for the rest of their lives. They love to try to get it right—oh how they love to please me!! I love teaching this age!
Well, I’m off to school now.
Love, Sierra
