So, moving is still problematic… October 13, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Just Bizarre, Student Moments.Tags: cat and mouse, clemente, fall term, german soccer team fangirl, hermione, Japan, Japanese, mr. bayblade, muscle pain, penelope, penguins, The Child, third year fun
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…thanks to Monday’s two-hour exercise extravaganza. I wish I were exaggerating, but the shooting fire-like pains that skitter down my thighs whenever I shift my weight say otherwise.
But in the true spirit of this blog, we shall not linger on unpleasant affairs.
These (adorable) penguins wish for us to look on the sunny side of life.
Wednesday was rather productive on the whole, and I had a lovely time chatting with Penelope during lunch and Hermione during the lunch recess. Mr. Bayblade made an appearance after lunch as well and we both lamented that Japan wasn’t able to beat South Korea in Tuesday night’s soccer game. I exercised restraint and did not point out that Germany (mercilessly, completely, and fantastically) schooled Kazakhstan with a final score of 0 – 3. See? I told you that that game would put me in a good mood.
The day isn’t quite over yet, I still have dance practice to go to and that may very well provide an entertaining and worthwhile memory to hold on to. Still, looking back over the day itself, I think I want to highlight the classes that I had with my third years.
There are some days when I don’t feel particularly close or of interest to these students, but today wasn’t one of those days. They had a speaking test where they had to recite the first stanza and chorus of We Are the World. Walking around and helping them was a lot of fun. Even The Child got into the activity (albeit about two weeks later than he should have…), and Clemente and I had sang the song together about five times. If I do say so myself, we make a nice duet.
I also had some free time on my hands since the kids were mostly preparing for the test. So, when I wasn’t helping students with their pronunciation or coaching them through the memorization process, I Got Up To Tricks. Specifically, I made it my mission to sneak around and steal things off of students’ desks to then hide them in ridiculous places around the room. (I should add here that I only harassed students who’d passed their test and were just sitting around.)
Today wasn’t the first time that I’ve done this and it quickly became a spectacular battle of wits. They would try to keep an eye on their notebooks/pen cases/textbooks/erasers, and I would do everything in my power to put those much needed items in locations ranging from on top of the classroom television set to on top of somebody’s head. Any and all attempts to foil me were met with devastating acts of revenge later on in the class period. That’s one way of saying that I may or may not have taken and switched the contents of at least two pencil bags.
I guess I like this memory because it’s of something that the third years and I don’t get a chance to do all that much together these days: play. I’ve known them since they were fifth graders and now that they’re about to go into high school, they seem so grown up and beyond that kind of activity. It’s nice to go back down that path on occasion, and remember how we can make each other laugh through a simple game of cat and mouse. I hope that I never grow too old to acknowledge, or rekindle, the playful and mischievous side of my personality.
Je veux ton amour
Et je veux ton revenge
I think The Scorpions said it best… September 27, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Cultural Exchange, Dance Troupe, Enkai Aftermath, FC Bayern Munich, Student Moments.Tags: changes, fall term, fc bayern fangirl, Japan, Japanese, kanemoto, penelope, sports festivals, The Band, The Child
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Or at least they said it well:
I follow the Moskva
Down to Gorky Park
Listening to the wind of change
An August summer night
Soldiers passing by
Listening to the wind of change
The world closing in
Did you ever think
That we could be so close,like brothers
The future’s in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change
Chorus:
Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
In the wind of change…
Setting aside, for the moment, references to the former Soviet Union, there is a lot about the imagery in this song that works for me during these cold, misty early days of autumn. It’s occurred to me more than once over the past week that with this changing of the seasons, it’s going to be a very long time before I again have the chance to enjoy a warm summer day in Mie, Japan.
This is going to be a shorter post than I’d originally intended. After I got home from work on Monday, I sat down at the computer with the intention of cranking out a first-class, comprehensive, previous post-referencing gem of an update for you. The next thing I knew it was 10:30 and I’d fallen asleep on my keyboard. So, you could say that things didn’t go according to plan.
Still, I’ve been quite busy since we last touched base on Wednesday. Here are the highlights:
~ Thursday: Had another draining, but productive practice with The Band. As usual, Mr. Coke was at the center of all humor and there was extensive discussion as to whether or not he would be wearing his Spiderman costume for our concert on October 3rd. (He will not.)
~ Friday: Helped the elementary school set up chairs and tables for the sports festival. I found a job for myself on the second floor of the gm, where I took chairs and tables down from high places and passed them to the children who then carried them down to the athletic field. I was amused to see that something of my work ethic has rubbed off on the girls, because they were determined to carry at least three chairs on their own because “Julie can carry six.”
Julie: Not just for English anymore.
~ Saturday: My last sports festival! My first enkai with the staff of an elementary school! If time permits, I’m going to try to write a longer, more comprehensive post about this day. (Please stop laughing, I can hear you.) I must say that I kept myself well occupied throughout the day, from baking fresh bread for the staff members, to taking pictures, to entertaining students, to interacting with the parents. What was also pleasant, and particularly memorable about this day (besides not doing the mukade race!!) was that I felt I had a chance to interact with the other teachers in a way that we hadn’t before. It felt friendlier, more relaxed, and quite welcoming.
~ Sunday: This was a pretty standard Sunday for me. I worked out in the Gym in the morning, went shopping in the afternoon, and caught up with family in the evening. FC Bayern did not play well on Saturday night, and I have to say that it left a bit of a shadow on my Sunday. Still, I don’t blame The Guys for the current state of affairs. The team’s been decimated by injuries and the manager is having some … managerial issues. We have a game mid-week and I’m hoping that things will go more smoothly.
~ Monday: Good things about this day: a letter from Kanemoto, absurd lunch conversations with Penelope, a relatively successful speaking check with the second year students, and reminders as to why I really like this first year class (even if they’re hyperactive to the point of being dangerous to themselves and others).
Not so good thing: Being the object of The Child’s emotional turbulence after school.
Monday was the day when all of the third year students officially retired from clubs and student committees and passed the reins on to the second year class. I think that The Child was feeling really sensitive about this ceremony, and the prospect of having to leave middle school. As such, when I went out to the bicycle racks to say goodbye to the third years, he used me to vent his frustrations and told me that I was a bothersome and annoying person who needed to just be seen in English class.
It’s been a long time since he’s turned on me in this way, and so I really wasn’t prepared to respond to such an aggressive tone. I knew that although he was serious, his words weren’t genuine. Still, they did kind of sting and I retreated to the second years to give him his space.
I’m certainly not upset with him for his behavior; The Child is in fact, a child, and I know that he is still learning how to control and handle his emotions. Because of his intelligence and sensitivity, this is particularly challenging for him. The only thing I can do is go back into class on Tuesday and treat him as I always have. I think that the best thing I can give him is constancy and stability, even if he is determined to lash out against it.
Ah, teaching. And people say that this is an easy job?
Walking down the street
Distant memories
Are buried in the past forever…
Westside Wednesdays September 22, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Cultural Exchange, Dance Troupe, Just Bizarre.Tags: Dance Troupe, fall term, fc bayern fangirl, Japan, Japanese
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Arguably, the most important event of Wednesday was my previous post about The Mighty Power of FC Bayern Munich. Still, that topic is more “Fan Girl” than “Japan Girl” in content, and so it’s probably in my best interests to reexamine the day’s events with the idea that I’m supposed to be using this blog to savor my dwindling time in The Land of the Rising Sun.
I think that the best part of the day happened near the end, during dance practice. We only have one more practice until our October 2nd performance and, unfortunately, we still have a bit of work ahead of ourselves. I’m feeling more confident with my part in the dance, but I’m still worried about the prospect of dancing and singing. It’s a little difficult for me right now because I don’t have the chance to work on both skills at the same time. I sing during dance practices, but it’s with a CD and using a regular version of the song so it’s easy for me to cheat and let Avril take care of the vocals. On the other side of the situation, I can practice singing during band practices but there isn’t a lot of room for me to dance.
I suppose what I’m saying here is that this whole performance is a juggling act of mass proportions. I also feel a tremendous responsibility to execute both singing and dancing as well as I can, since I feel that both the Dance Troup and The Band are putting their reputations on the line so that I can play Pop Idol. Never mind that putting me front and center wasn’t my idea in the first place; the responsibility remains.
Still, in spite of these difficulties, I enjoyed last night’s practice. We had almost all of the members in attendance – even some that have been MIA because of a new baby. We worked on the dance, joked about some of the more unusual moves, fussed over said new baby, and complained about the weather (so. hot.). There was even one moment when we compared a particular dance move to sequences in Cool from Westside Story (more or less the section starting at 2:11). In a moment of what can only be termed as “pure sillyness,” we halfheartedly acted out the first part of this video, relying on their memories of the movies and my memories of the lyrics.
Never assume that the countryside of a given nation is not cultured or without the ability to mock itself using international movies.
Boy, boy, crazy boy
Get cool, boy
Got a rocket in your pocket
Keep cooly cool, boy
Sometimes, I’m Afraid of Making Mistakes June 17, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Japanese GET, Julie Gets Philosophical, Just Bizarre.Tags: Japan, Japanese, jet, lisa douglas, mr. coke, my japanese sister, peaks and valleys, spring term, The Band, the dance troupe
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A sentiment that, I hear tell, is echoed by many of us nervous human-creatures.
Thursday was,another very long day. Things went well at the elementary school; my classes were fun and the students were very enthusiastic and sweet when they came to visit me during recess. I spent some time chatting with Lisa Douglas, and then the Vice Principal (having observed that I was out of sorts) told me to leave work an hour early. Normally that would be a suggestion that I would dismiss, but yesterday I seized it with thankful, trembling hands and more or less flew home so I could take a nap.
The evening found me undecided as to what to do. I still had letters to write, and normally I would have attended to that, but I also had band practice looming ahead of me. I was still having a lot of problems with the end of Girlfriend. A few weeks ago, I spoke with My Japanese Sister about this issue. She’s a really great piano and voice teacher and I asked her for some advice in how to train my voice to hit those last few notes. Her suggestion was to back down and sing them in a more classical style which, although doable, didn’t sound right to me when I tried it during practice.
So, I came to the conclusion that I was going to have to practice the song until I hit those last notes in a non-classical style. So that’s what I dedicated my evening to: singing this ungodly song a seemingly infinite number of times, recording most of my sessions, and trying to figure out what I could do to make myself sound better.
Around eight-fifteen I could feel that I was making progress, but it was as this point that The Other ALT intervened; she sent me a text asking me to stop my vocal exercises. I called her and apologized profusely and my evening’s practice came to a grinding halt. The walls of the apartment building are quite thin, and although I was practicing in my shower with the door shut, it just wasn’t enough. I know she doesn’t like the song, and so I certainly didn’t begrudge her for wanting me to stop singing.
Still, the experience left me somewhat … emotionally … fragile, should we say? I suppose if I’m going to be perfectly honest then I might as well tell you that as soon as I got off the phone with her, I more or less emotionally collapsed under the weight of, oh, the last six months/4 years. Eventually, I dragged myself to the computer and did what I always do whenever the Infinite Spaces of the world Fill Me With Dread. I called my parents.
In this case, since it was my mother’s birthday and I didn’t want to harass her with the angst eruption from Mt. St. Julie, I called my father instead. I’m not exactly sure how he had the patience for my hysteria very rational and thorough account of the day’s grievances. But he did, and I eventually calmed down.
My situation upset me for a variety of reasons, but there are two specific points that caused me a fantastic amount of emotional distress. The first was the thought that my neighbors had been aggrieved by my practice session. I certainly don’t want to bother anyone with what I do in the evenings, and the idea that other people had had to put up with my very poor attempts to sing a rather obnoxious song was upsetting.
The second point of grievance and mortification was that even with the practice session, I still couldn’t sing the song. I began to question ever joining The Band in the first place, and repeatedly lamented that the guys had invited me without knowing what they’d gotten themselves into. I keenly felt the pressure of singing this song and also trying to figure out a dance so that I could make this summer season a success for The Band and The Dance Troupe. I never wanted to be a Pop Idol, and I became thoroughly convinced that the idea was ridiculous.
So, it was with this mentality that I went to band practice.
When I got there, it was obvious that I was upset. The Drummer (I promise I’ll get these bios out soon) asked me if I felt okay enough to practice and still looked concerned when I said that I would be fine.
We started out without the lead singer (hereby known as Mr. Coke, although the explanation for this will have to wait) and ran through JOYFUL a few times. The guys are still trying to get the music down, but it’s starting to come together. Eventually, Mr. Coke arrived and we turned our attentions to Girlfriend. The first time we sang the song, I could tell that something was a little different, but it wasn’t until the third run through that things finally came into focus.
Although it might have cost me the goodwill of all the people living within a square kilometer of my apartment, my evening practice session was not in vain. I was able to sing the song. All of it.
And what’s more, is that we all noticed this change at the same time. As soon we finished the song, the guys were generous with their comments. I can’t even begin to express how much it soothed me. My performance wasn’t perfect, but now we had something to work with and after going through the song a few more times, the whole singing experience had completely changed. For some reason, doing this song is now outrageously fun and ridiculous. We all sensed this new vibe, this new wave of energy, and the feeling brought us together.
We went on to practice our other songs, and now that my voice is coming in clearer we have the opportunity to play with the various arrangements to make things more interesting. Overall, it was a long practice, but it was arguably the best one I’ve had yet. At one point I even felt comfortable enough to tell the guys about what had happened earlier in the evening. They thought that it was hilarious. They also said that I shouldn’t worry about the offense overmuch; being loud is a natural byproduct of being in a rock band.
When I was talking to my father earlier in the evening, he told me that life has its peaks and valleys, and that we can’t be afraid of making mistakes because it limits us no matter where we are in those mountains. On Thursday night, I very quickly climbed to a peak from a rather wretched valley. I’m not sure who or what deserves credit for that ascent, but I’m grateful all the same.
JOY to JOY to JOY to poppna BABY
JOY to JOY to JOY to Happyna PEOPLE
Let’s have some ICE CREAM. June 9, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in ice cream, Just Bizarre, Student Moments.Tags: hannah montana, ice cream, Japan, Japanese, jet, Mary Sunshine, school lunch, spring term, The Child, the dance troupe
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Because I’m running behind schedule today and can’t seem to flesh any of my thoughts out into a full post.
~ Recently, I’ve been really disappointed with the caliber of the lunches at my schools. The menus have been bizarre (yesterday’s was white rice, a small piece of fried fish, and a weird sour vegetable salad-esque thing) and the taste not that tasty. Everyone eats the same thing at my schools (all the students and staff), and so we’ve been collectively suffering over the last month or so. Yesterday, The JTE and some other teachers took part in a rant after lunch, which was quite entertaining. I also got to complain, so that was a nice bonding moment.
~ I have an equation for you: Mary Sunshine : last year :: Hannah Montana : this year. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time with my pop-culture queen, and I’ve discovered that it’s ridiculously fun to tease her during class. To this end, I’ve started using her name in a lot of my games and activities, and I made her a zombie in the Zombie Listening Test from a couple of weeks ago. She responds to my gestures of affection with various forms of physical abuse, but I’m starting to get used to this method of communication.
~ The Child had a very good day, which made up for the massive headache he gave me on Monday. While I was working with him on Wednesday, I was struck by how much he’s grown up over the past four years. I know that he doesn’t think a lot about his future (except to dismiss it as boring and tiresome), but I kind of hope that he rallies and decides to become a teacher. I think that he would be a good one.
~ I finally had a chance to go back to dance practice last night. The Dance Troupe and I have a small festival on Sunday. It should only last about five hours, so I don’t think it’s going to be too taxing. We’re doing the same dances that we worked on last year, although DJ Ozma is hard at work on coming up with a routine for Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend.
~ Looking at the weather forecast for next week depresses me. The Rainy Season is indeed upon us.
Never wanted to know, never wanted to see
I wasted my time until time wasted me
Gym Cohorts June 8, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Gym Adventures.Tags: girl who showed me the ropes, guy i don't like, guy i like, gym, Japan, Japanese, jet, purple pants guy, she wolf, spring term
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So, seeing as Tuesday evening was taken up with Adventures at the Gym, it seems that now is an appropriate time to give you some idea as to the kinds of people I’m spending approximately six to eight hours a week with. It’s become obvious by now that there are a few individuals that I can count on seeing on a regular basis, and they do make the experience more meaningful. (Now that they’ve started to say hello to me, that is.)
So, let’s start out with the staff. First off, we have:
The Girl Who Helped Me Sign Up
I actually don’t have an ongoing relationship with this person. I often see her when I check-in and when I leave, but otherwise that’s about it. I just feel the need to make her a character because every time I see her, I’m reminded how super awkward it was when I signed up for the gym. This reminder fills me with shame and keeps me humble.
The Girl Who Showed Me the Ropes
I see this girl when I go to work out on Sunday mornings. She was the one who taught me how to use the machines and she helped me to build a workout regime that would help me accomplish my personal goals. She still says hello every Sunday and offers me bits of advice.
These conversations with her can sometimes get a little awkward, though, because I’m not exactly sure what kinds of topics that we should be discussing. Should they just be focused on my training? In the past, she has asked me about my plans for the day, so should I reciprocate? In the States, it’s generally assumed that both physical trainer and trainee have the freedom to inquire about each others’ lives. In Japan, though, I’m not sure. On the one hand, I don’t want her to think that I’m totally self absorbed and only focused on my mind-body health. On the other hand, I don’t want to be the proverbial bull in the china shop that steps on the plates and tea cups of etiquette and personal space.
You know, with as neurotic as I can sometimes be about social behavior, it’s a wonder I’ve made it here this long. -_-;;
The Guy I Don’t Like
I don’t like this guy.
I encountered him on my third visit to the gym. I hadn’t been able to finish my official orientation the Sunday before, and so The Girl Who Showed Me the Ropes told me to ask any staff member for help during my next visit. He was the person I approached for said help, and thus began my feelings of animosity.
It’s not that he didn’t help me out. He did in fact tell me what I needed to know and he explained things well. It’s that he performed his role with a rather incredible look of disdain and suffering. I also caught him rolling his eyes at me more than once. I’ve seen him work with other people, and during those times he is both courteous and deferential. I’m not sure why I warranted such disrespect (I suspect my foreign status didn’t help me), but he is now The Guy I Don’t Like.
Conversely, we also have:
The Guy That I Like a Lot
I met him last Friday evening while I was working on strength training. I had a question about how to properly use one of the machines, and (after much internal hemming and hawing) asked him for his advice. He was incredibly gracious and helpful, and then afterwards he showed me how to use another machine that I’d wanted to try.
After we finished with the machines, we got to talking and he further established himself in my good graces by telling me about an upcoming physical exam that the gym was offering. I want to get a better grasp on my physical abilities, and so he was more than willing to assist me in signing up.
The entire experience with him, which took about an hour, was pleasant and interesting. He treated me just like any other patron, and although we certainly discussed my foreign status, we didn’t limit ourselves to that topic. I think we only cross paths on Friday evenings, so Fridays are now hereby decreed as: “The Day I see the Guy That I Like A Lot”.
Of course, the gym isn’t just a place for staff members to gather. There are other people there, working out alongside me to fulfill their fitness goals. I’ve seen a variety of people over the last few weeks, but two individuals stand out.
The first one is The Amazing Purple Pants Guy
I am not joking about the pants. They are, without a doubt, the most sensational pants I have ever seen in my life. In fact, they look a lot like these:
See? Astounding, aren’t they?
This man is also one of the more unusual looking individuals I’ve come across. He’s super tall, easily over 6’4”, and rail thin. He’s slightly balding, he wears Groucho Marx glasses, and has a small mustache. In fact, he kind of looks like an otter.
Still, physical peculiarities aside, he’s passionate about his workout regime and very much a part of the gym environment. Everyone seems to know him and he’s one of the friendlier faces that I see. He didn’t pay much attention to me for the first week or so but starting sometime last week, he started to wave/bow/nod his head at me when I arrived and when I left. If we ever get on speaking terms, I’ll be sure to let you know.
The Lady Who Will Hurt You
I wish I could come up with another name for this woman, but I can’t help it: every time I see her, I think to myself, “That woman could mess a brother up.” Actually, I think a significantly less G-rated version of that phrase, but you get the idea. My impressions are not unfounded – this woman is a bit terrifying.
So, she’s tiny – maybe just over five feet tall. But she definitely makes up for her lack of height. She’s got this long, curly and fire-engine red hair that she never, ever puts up. She always wears camouflage pants and army tags (I think the tags are just jewelry, though) and she is solid muscle.
Her personality appears to be just as intense as her sense of style. Whenever she comes to the gym (which I suspect is every day), she stays for hours. She uses every machine, she talks to everyone, and she often takes several classes in a row. If she isn’t working out, then she’s circling the gym, almost as if she’s a She Wolf checking out her territory. Like The Amazing Purple Pants Guy, she ignored me during my first week at the gym. Last week, however, we had progress when she gave me this slight nod of acknowledgment.
Can you believe that? “A slight nod of acknowledgment” indeed. This is like something out of a comic book.
Well, cheesy or not, last week she offered a small salutation, and on Tuesday she actually said hello. Again, I’m not under the impression that she and I will become BFF, but it’s nice to know that the She Wolf seems to be okay with me working out at, well, her gym.
Hmm. She Wolf- that’s a better name, isn’t it? We’ll go with that instead.
Anyway, that’s who I’ve been interacting with over the last few weeks. It’s definitely a situation I’ve never been in before, but I’m sure that it will prove to be interesting and thought provoking.
He could play a guitar just like a ringin’ a bell.
I think I need to make a few changes. June 7, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Cultural Exchange, Dance Troupe, Student Moments.Tags: Japanese, jet, joyful, recipe, spring term, The Child, updates
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Because right now, my current “Blog Writing Schedule,” although regular (and I use that term liberally), is still a bit infrequent and I’m not getting to talk about the things that I want to talk about. At present, this schedule means that I writemas much as I can between spoonfuls of oatmeal and the process of organizing my iPod for the day’s driving. (On today’s menu: the most recent BBC Broadcast, a feature from WNYC’s Radiolab on Time, and Part 3 of a program about the History of Rome. If there’s time, I also have plenty of BBC documentaries and episodes from HowStuffWorks.Com.)
This is Julie. This is Julie kind of geeking out.
There are a lot of things that I’d like to talk about, but current time constraints prevent me from doing them any sort of justice. Still, so you know what’s ahead of us at some point: Introductions and Short Bios of my band mates, growing problems with a student at Friday’s elementary school, an update about last year’s first year students and the current first year students at Thursday’s elementary school, some introductions and bios about people that I often see at the gym, and much, much more!
In the meantime, I offer you three things.
1) An anecdote:
Monday was extremely busy, to say the least. I had five classes and I found myself fully occupied the entire time. The most taxing (yet entertaining) class was with the third years. I spent the whole time begging, bullying, bribing, harassing, flattering, and just flat-out threatening The Child to do the day’s assignments (exercises in the workbook, so definitely not his favorite way to spend his time). He was having one of his “I choose to be difficult and contrary but will eventually do the work” days. These are the days when I truly earn my paycheck, my friends. He is so freakishly quick, and trying to dance around his excuses and arguments (in Japanese!) (with occasional smattering of English when I still feel the need to win even if he can’t understand me) is akin to Chinese acrobatics.
Still, when we finish the lesson with the following exchange, it … well … it doesn’t cure my headache, but it does put it all into some kind of strange perspective.
The Child: Foreigners are such a pain.
Me: What about me???
The Child: No, you’re okay. I love you.
Is there such a thing as a relationship where the student abuses the teacher??
2) A soup recipe!
This was from this past week. My father finally got his wish and we made something cream-based.
Cream of Broccoli Soup (from The Farmer’s Almanac)
- 6 cups water
- 10 ounces fresh or frozen chopped broccoli
- 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 cups shredded American cheese
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons white pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup light cream
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/3 cup all-purpose white flour
In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the broccoli and onion; boil for 10 to 12 minutes. Add the cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts. Add the milk, cream, and butter. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
Add the water to the flour and mix until smooth. Add slowly to the hot soup, stirring rapidly. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the soup is the consistency of heavy cream. Serve hot.
I didn’t use the cheese and I added some chopped up mushrooms. Also, instead of using regular water I opted for some homemade chicken stock that I had in my freezer. This is a great soup! Try it, you’ll like it! ^o^
3) A song!
The band wants me to start working on this song, although we’re not clear if I’m translating it into English and singing that version, or just staying with the Japanese. It’s kind of hyperactive, but I’ll give it a shot.
This was the best version that I could find, so please enjoy watching somebody play the guitar. ^o^;
There’s a dance that goes along with it, which you also may be able to find if you really want to search for it. The song is called Joyful (じょいふる) and it’s by a group called Ikimonogakari (いきものがかり).
And that’s the news for the moment.
I hope everyone has a great week!
You can’t make up your mind
Please don’t waste my time
Let’s talk about how I didn’t intend to do that. May 26, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Just Bizarre.Tags: Japan, Japanese, jet, middle school, spring term, technology is not my friend, The Awesome Vice Principal
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So, this week has not been the best of weeks for my relationship with machines. Computers, copiers, faxes, printers, cell phones, iPods ~ I must be surrounded by some kind of strange wave, because any time I’ve gone near any and all of those objects something Unfortunate has happened. I admit that I’m invoking a bit of the “Murphy’s Law Mentality” at present, but probability has not been in my favor this week. I have a trail of maintenance receipts to prove it.
(Not that I’ve had to pay to resolve these problems [at least at school] mind you, but there is definitely a connection.)
So, imagine my utter delight when the middle school was the proud recipient of a brand new, super-high-tech-and-shiny copier this week. I can’t properly express how overjoyed I was to see the demon and garden gnome harboring hunk of plastic and nightmares wheeled out of the teachers room forever. I had a brief flashback to the scene in Charades when the three antagonists come into the church to confirm that Audrey Hepburn’s husband is really dead. I, too, wanted to make loud noises and poke the copier with sharp objects – just to be sure that it would stay away for good.
That was kind of a disturbing reference, wasn’t it? I apologize – it’s been a long week.
What was even better about the new copier was that the guys installing it were able to deftly navigate my laptop’s grumbly and stubborn nature to configure it so that I could print to it. I haven’t been able to directly print at the middle school in over two years and so I was pleased at the prospect of not always having to email documents to myself and print them from the public staff room computer.
Yesterday, during the morning teacher’s meeting, the Awesome Vice Principal gave us a small speech about the new copier, reiterating some advice/instructions that we’d heard the day before. He also cautioned us to use it as sparingly as possible, because we still in fact have other printers available in the staff room. I felt as though he might have been directing that comment at me, because I did go just a little printer happy on Monday afternoon (instant access will do that to a girl). So, I solemnly swore to follow the laws of moderation (or even temperance!) in all things printer-related.
But remember, there is some kind of battle going on between the countries of Julie and Technology.
I was foiled the first time when, after emailing a document to the public computer, I tried to print a document from the regular printer. Unfortunately, as I soon discovered, the settings on the computer had been changed and so that it automatically printed to the copier.
So much for temperance.
The Awesome Vice Principal arched his eyebrow at me when I went to retrieve my newly printed items.
“I didn’t intend to do that,” I assured him.
“Uh…huh,” he replied.
The next issue came later on in the day, when (in a rush to get something finished before my next class) I made the same mistake and this time didn’t specify that I didn’t want to print the document in color. I’d used a lot of pictures and so it was an absolutely gorgeous (aaaaand expensive) document when it finally finished printing. At the copier.
If it is possible for somebody to sneak up to a copier in the middle of a staff room and not be seen then I am not aware of how one would do this. The Awesome Vice Principal certainly saw me.
“I really didn’t mean to do that.”
“Right.”
The third time happened after school. This time, I feel as though the Universe was toying with me. I remembered my earlier transgressions, went into the computer’s options and changed the printer that I wanted to use. I was proud. Pleased with myself, even. This time, technology and I were surely communicating.
Except we weren’t. Because in the time since I’d last used the computer, somebody (probably The Awesome Vice Principal) had changed the automatic settings on the computer back to the original printer. So I’d directed the document to be printed from … the copier. I guess I need to learn the different printer numbers.
I practically crawled to the copier this time, highly aware of and attuned to each line of text in my 12-page (color) document.
“I didn’t-”
“-intend to do that. Yes, Julie. We know.”
Lucky for me, I don’t have just a Vice Principal at the middle school. I have an Awesome Vice Principal. At this point, he also understood that the Universe was not working with me. He was laughing, and the sound of that laughter made my day.
I’ve been funny, I’ve been cool with the lines
Ain’t that the way love’s supposed to be?
Keep on Chasing Rainbows, Fly High April 20, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Cultural Exchange, Japanese GET, Julie Gets Philosophical, Student Moments.Tags: Japanese, jet, kanemoto, laughter, mosh pit, my #1 fan, penelope, reconciliation, stragglers, The Mentor
4 comments
Okay, so I may or may not be in the throes of a very intense Avantasia obsession. For those not in the know, Avantasia is a side project created by Edguy front man Tobias Sammet. It is also one of my favorite groups. It just came out with two new albums; I will probably listen to very little else for the next several weeks.
Pay particular attention to way that the chorus, Tobi, Jorn Lande, and Bob Catley dance around each other from 5:37 to 6:04. This may be my most beloved 27 seconds in the world of music.
~ So ~ that has very little to with Japan. But my day was (understandably) Japan-focused. So let’s direct our energies towards my memories, shall we?
Today’s weather was rainy and miserable, but I enjoyed myself. I’m also happy because I’m going on a field trip with my first years tomorrow and I think that it will be a lot of fun. I’ll be traveling with My #1 Fan and Kanemoto, so goodness knows what will happen.
Looking back, there are two particular events that I’d like to highlight.
The first happened after lunch (which in itself was enjoyable because I had a great chat with Penelope). Before I could return to the teacher’s room, my first years dragged me into in a mosh pit so that they could speak English and get “Julie Money” from me. (I used to give out stickers to reward efforts to communicate with me in English, but Julie Money is easier. It is also significantly more popular. ) This was entertaining and a quite fun.
Eventually the crowd died down, and I decided to walk around the school to see if I could inspire some stragglers to speak with me. On the second floor by the library, I found a mixed group of first and second year boys (mostly members of the ping-pong club). They greeted me with a surprising amount of enthusiasm and we proceeded to chat for about fifteen minutes. Other students eventually gathered around as well, but it was more civilized than the mosh pit.
I’m fond of this interaction because I had the chance to talk to students who are not part of my usual crowd. These are boys who I don’t speak with unless it’s related to a classroom activity, and so prior to our talk I couldn’t have said much about their ability to freely converse. I wasn’t unhappy with the content of our conversation; they genuinely wanted to know certain things about me and they did their best to ask it in English. I also gave away an absurd amount of Julie cash, and so they were happy with the exchange as well.
The rest of my day was busy preparing lesson plans for my elementary lessons, and it was while I was meeting with teachers at Thursday’s elementary school and speaking with The Mentor that the second Noteworthy Memory took place.
I don’t think I’ve ever properly explained my situation with The Mentor. I hint at it on the Cast of Characters page, but I think that’s about as much background as I’ve given you. It’s a kind of epic story, with a lot of twists and turns that I don’t understand and probably never will. The short version is this: I’ve worked with him since I arrived, when I first got here he was dismissive although not unfriendly. I went through a period where I had very poor lessons, he became dismissive and angry with me, and I grew to fear him more than any one else on the planet. In an attempt to redeem myself and wrestle my circumstances into submission I began to plan lessons in such a way that I felt he would be comfortable. Over time, my efforts paid off and he began to treat me like a human being. A few outside of school seminars, several after school meetings dedicated to discussing education and problem students, and almost four years of team teaching have finally Melted The Ice.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that we’re friends, but he is most certainly one of my favorite people.
Okay, so that was … not … short.
Well, like I said: it’s an epic story.
The reason that I’ve gone to all of these efforts to get into The Mentor‘s favor is that he’s quite simply the best teacher I’ve ever seen in my life. His control over his classes is absolute, and the adoration and affection that he receives from his students is unparalleled. He works himself into the ground eight times over for their benefit; no activity is too time consuming and no personal crisis is beneath his notice. He was the one who taught me to think about why students do what they do. He showed me how, as a teacher, my responses to student behavior are critical and can have tremendous consequences without me even knowing it. Because of him, I was compelled to find a reason to make my position in this town a position that others could respect. The thought that this incredible teacher would find my lessons expendable or annoying was Not Acceptable. His anger with me indicated that I had alternative ways of conducting myself, and so I truly owe any and all my success to him.
On a more personal level, is also the only teacher to have ever reached out to me when I’ve needed help. He’s the only one who has been willing to cross cultural and linguistic lines to help me improve my lessons. Over time, he’s extended his assistance into other areas (like culture or sports festivals), and so I also owe a lot of my non-English activities at Thursday’s school to him as well.
So … that’s The Mentor. And, as I said about 400 words ago, he figures into Tuesday’s second memory.
I got to Thursday’s elementary school at about 4:15, and I briefly met with the first through fourth home room teachers to discuss some ideas that I have regarding the content of this year’s lessons. When that was finished, I went by to chat with The Mentor about this week’s class. What began as a discussion about our lesson turned into a discussion about the English curriculum, and then we started to talk about how the new first years were adjusting at the middle school. This topic led to dialogue about problem students and books that he’s reading now to help him understand how he can work with them and integrate them into the rest of the class. He wants me to read these books, but he knows that the Japanese is still above my level. By the time that we finally parted ways, we’d talked for almost an hour.
I think what made me so happy about this exchange is that I feel as though he was telling me that he believes that I could be a teacher that works well with problem students. Given our history, I am (understandably) Ridiculously Happy whenever I receive positive reinforcement from him. I’m so glad that I was able to meet with him on a level playing field and discuss topics that we both find interesting. In addition, something exceptionally pleasant about our exchange was how much we laughed. To me, shared laughter is an indication of shared perspective. When I first got to Japan, he was the last person in the world I thought I would intellectually and socially reconcile with.
I am so glad that in that respect, I was totally and utterly mistaken.
Oh boy the ice will break
You’ll just feel your heart rending
