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
Can I Be Honest? June 16, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Julie Gets Philosophical.Tags: emotional things, homesickness, Japan, jet, spring term
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I’m homesick.
This feeling is not the homesickness that I have been familiar with since the day I arrived in Japan. This is not me feeling frustrated because I can’t get a properly cooked hamburger anywhere within 75 km of my apartment (although that frustration does indeed exist at present). This is also not me lamenting the “oh so fantastically ridiculous hahahaha” Japanese culture that I am saturated with on a daily basis.
No, this feeling is something all together new and ridiculous. It’s a constant buzzing in my mind, a not-so-subtle attempt to avoid cooking any and all Asian food, a perpetual pang of longing whenever I see a TGI Friday’s advertisement. (That last point is particularly significant because I don’t even like TGI Friday’s all that much.) How’s this for a statistic? I spent over twelve hours on Skype last weekend.
I suppose, therefore, the recent changes I’ve made to my schedule are an attempt to keep me focused on Japan in the here and now. I don’t head back to the States until next March, and I don’t want to spend so much time keeping track of (let’s face it – irrelevant) sales at Whole Foods that I’m blind to the opportunities around me.
Recently, the news of my upcoming departure has really started to make the rounds and the reactions that I’ve gotten from most students has been a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s nice to know that I’m liked so much. On the other hand, children can be vehement and vengeful creatures when wronged. I am employing full use of my sarcastic faculties when I say that I’m looking forward to riding the Rollercoaster of Emotionally Adjusting Students for the next nine and a half months.
On the other hand, this upcoming change has produced a lot of great conversations with the students who are less focused on tearing apart the fabric of my emotions and self-worth. Many have finally asked me why I came to Japan in the first place and why I feel like I need to leave now. In short, what’s changed over the last four (but will eventually be almost five) years?
This is a huge topic, and one that I could explore via numerous posts. The short and simple answer is that I came to Japan to grow and learn and now I feel it’s time to go grow and learn somewhere else. There are still many things that I don’t know about Japan or about myself, but I feel as though another environment is more suited to the things that I’m interested in pursuing. This sentiment is really not so profound; countless people come to this conclusion on a daily basis.
As such, my own knowledge of this motivation (along with my new-found love for informative podcasts, the Daily Show and activities not done purely for the sake of Internationalization) means that my United States-centered separation anxiety is growing by the day. I suspect that summer will help me relax and calm down, but I still have four weeks until that blessed event.
Until then, I suppose I need to hold on to each moment for all that it’s worth, and try to stay patient with myself and others around me. This is not going to be easy because patience is, I’ve found, one of the first things to disappear when humans feel overwhelmed and out of sorts.
Perhaps I’m on my way to becoming a stereotypical rock star.
kimi no koe o kikasete
Sa bouken shiteminai
tanoshii koto hajime yo
asobitai!
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
Julie: Good for the earth? June 2, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Julie Gets Philosophical.Tags: awareness, environmental angst, Japan, jet, middle school, podcasts, spring term
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So, given my recent and frequent use of podcasts to get caught up on the world’s affairs, it’s not surprising that I have become more aware of Environmental Issues. I like to think that I’ve always been conscious about these things on some level; since my years in grade school I have recycled without question, carried my own bags into grocery stores whenever possible, and I don’t buy products if I don’t think I can get rid of the waste in an earth-friendly fashion.
Still, with the news of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and a recent news story I heard about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, I have been more sensitive to subjects related to the health of the planet. Perhaps it’s appropriate then that I spent Wednesday afternoon cleaning up the side of a roadway with some of my first year students.
These kinds of environmental projects happen a couple of times a year, and they’re aimed at beautifying the areas around our school and the town itself. Some students and teachers stayed behind to work on the school’s gardens, but others ventured out to off-campus locations. My group and I went into the mountains and picked up trash and debris alongside a popular road.
Good things about this excursion: goofing off with my first years, who happened to be very chatty, outgoing, and silly students. We rapped in English (with them giving me my backup rhythms) and talked about how their studies and club activities are progressing. Also, there is something satisfying about picking up garbage. It’s unappetizing, and somewhat frustrating work, but at least one feels as though one is doing something good.
Bad things about this excursion: seeing the blatant disregard for the health of the local forests.
I don’t mean to pick on Japan with the following comments. Honestly, I think that what I saw is characteristic of humanity, and so you will most likely find this no matter where you go.
My students and I began our cleanup by walking along just one side of the mountain road. After awhile, we decided to turn back and so we crossed the street and hugged the opposite side. This side of the road, however, was right next to the mountain’s drop off and had a very dense and steep forest beside it. This was where all of the garbage was to be found.
It kind of broke my heart. All of us had been in really great, cheerful moods on our way up the road. We found the occasional coffee can or cigarette pack, but otherwise the street was remarkably clean. Down the hill, though, and beneath the trees (where no one from the road could see), it was a veritable junkyard. We found televisions, mattresses, old vacuum cleaner pipes, and piles of hairspray bottles.
Most of what we found are items that are a bit of a hassle to get rid of in Japan. The recycling/trash pick up program here is notoriously difficult to navigate. I guess that some people in the community have gotten tired of trying to figure it out, and so they’ve chosen to just throw their trash down the mountain in hopes that, I don’t know, the local mountain elves will welcome the taste of plastic and toxins in their mushrooms. Perhaps what particularly ruffled me was the obvious reasoning behind their choice of location: if nobody can SEE the trash, then it doesn’t matter if it exists or not.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to spend a lot of time on those piles of garbage in the forest. Not only was there too much for us to pick up, but the hill was really quite steep and it was too dangerous to let the students go after a lot of what we saw. It was a very somber situation – seeing these piles of waste and having to walk away.
Still, this is certainly an event that is worth remembering (not that I think I could forget). It shows that no place is excluded from the current problems facing our environment. In the meantime, I suppose the only thing that I can do is to try to assume as much responsibility as possible for the garbage that I make, and to help out with community cleanups whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Yes, my friends. We are living in interesting times.
In my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
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?
I need a degree in economics. May 19, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Student Moments.Tags: banks, economic theory, Japan, jet, kanemoto, middle school students, necessary philosophical references, spring term
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And we have Kanemoto to thank for this revelation.
Yesterday, I decided to sit at Kanemoto’s table during lunch. Next to us was The Prodigy who proved to be entertaining, even if she wasn’t involved in my current desire to compare Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes.
While we ate, the students around me were trying hard to speak in English, so I was giving out a lot of Julie Money in the process. At one point, however, I noticed that two of the students (Kanemoto and another-as-yet-unnamed individual) kept passing their money to a boy sitting at the end of the table. Curious, I asked Kanemoto what the deal was. His reply? “Oh, he’s the bank.”
The what?
“The bank. We made a bank for Julie Money and he holds the savings.”
You read correctly – a bank. An honest to God, lending-and-interest-rate using bank.
Here is the situation as I understand it: Kanemoto and a group of his friends were talking one day and they realized that earning Julie money can be difficult because I’m usually mobbed by students between classes and after school. They also realized that individually they all had about 75 units of Julie Money, but together it was closer to 400. Most of them are aiming for the quantity of 150, at which point they can get an English translation of a Japanese comic. On their own, this dream is far away for all of them, but with their combined forces, it’s possible for many of them.
The system works this way: the members of the bank (of which I believe there are currently six) are free to borrow money to buy whatever prize from me they want. Let’s say you have 100 units of Julie Money saved and you want a comic – you’re allowed to borrow 50 from the bank. This is permissible, but only under the condition that you’re not allowed to borrow again until you’ve invested 100 units into the bank (double of what you borrowed).
This is a fantastically steep interest rate in the real world, but for a bunch of first year middle school students it’s fair and easy to calculate.
In all of my dreams and hopes surrounding the success of Julie Money, I never once conceived that my students would take it upon themselves to organize and run a bank. It does, however, explain why those six students (many of whom are extremely active and wealthy in the Julie Money world) are not spending their Julie Money. They’re saving it. Some don’t know what they want to buy yet, some want to be able to buy more than one comic at once, and some just want to help their friends because they’re not sure that they want to buy anything.
Banks, interest rates, market liquidity, potential inflation if the kids don’t start buying things … yes, I definitely need an economics degree.
I’ve been funny I’ve been cool with the lines
Ain’t that the way love’s supposed to be?
Mysterious Days May 17, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Cultural Exchange, Just Bizarre, Lessons Learned, Student Moments.Tags: class deception, eating hamsters, hermione, Japan, jet, spring term, The Child, The Japanese Best Friend
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We have about one week down and nine to go until the summer break. Normally, I am one to advocate mindfulness and savoring each moment of every day to the greatest extent possible. I suppose it’s a kind of New-Age way of thinking, but when faced with the knowledge that I will be significantly (if not violently) uprooting my life in about ten months’ time, it’s the best I’ve got.
Still, I’ll be honest and say that the increase I’ve seen in my class load since last April is running me pretty ragged (thus the longing for summer vacation). Not only am I in charge of many different kinds of lessons this year, but I often work with difficult/problematic students during class (which is fulfilling, yet draining), and then I have “outside cultural and social” obligations as well. Among these obligations are side projects (posters, contests, puzzles, newsletters) that I used to do but now am having problems finding the time or energy to focus on. As a result, even though I’m working the same hours that I’ve always worked, I feel less productive. It’s at this point that I get grumpy and post angsty updates on Twitter.
I suppose this all goes to show that there is most certainly a distinction between a foreigner who is some kind of “language teacher” and a foreigner who is an “assistant language teacher.” I’m not exactly sure where I fall, but there have been more than a few times this past month when I’ve thought to myself, “Wow. I wish I had an ALT.”
But … all of the above is me complaining, and that is not why you’re here! You’re here for the tender, poignant, often hilarious and usually unusual memories from the last five days!
So, here we are.
Thursday
Thursday was a fairly normal day at the elementary school. I remember feeling pleased with my lessons, and happy with some thoughts that The Mentor shared with me about the current first years at the middle school (half of the students were his students last year). I think that the most memorable part of the day for me, though, was the lunch that I had with the fourth grade class.
I’m not sure why, but recently the students in this class have become extremely enthusiastic about English. I’ve been flooded with letters and conversationalists during recess. There are three boys in particular that have been rather persistent, which amuses me greatly. I am always fascinated when, for some reason completely unfathomable to me, a student decides that I am somebody worth interacting with on more than just the minimum level required by the English class itself. It makes me happy; it makes me feel as though I’m doing something right.
Friday
Friday was, unsurprisingly, a chaotic day at the elementary school. I had a lot of classes and because I see the fifth and sixth graders every week (and they are the most enthusiastic of my classes), there are now more opportunities to surround me for conversation and stickers. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: stickers and rewards are the key to teaching English.
The best part of the day, however, came from the third year class. A lot of these students go to outside English classes. I’ve noticed that over time, these students’ knowledge has spread to their friends, and at this point the whole class is very quick and rather skilled.
On Friday, we were studying the sentence “I eat ~.” The students already know how to talk about their likes and dislikes, and now we’re in the phase of my curriculum where they start to pick up other verbs. I think I’ve written about this before – how much fun it is to trick the kids into telling me that they eat unusual things (dogs, cats, people, vegetables…). Friday, however, was the first time that the kids fought back against my deception.
We were practicing this new sentence using flashcards. I would hold up a flashcard of a food, say the sentence “I eat (flashcard picture)” and the students repeated after me. Pretty basic, right? The point of deception comes when, after the students find a rhythm and stop paying attention, I toss in a picture of something strange and then act extremely disgusted and offended when they tell me that they eat it. On this particular occasion it was a picture of a hamster.
The third years acted as expected: they were both indignant and hysterical. After we gathered ourselves, we continued on with the practice, but the last card I had in the stack was one of a cat. When we got to it, I tried to trick them again, but they were more than prepared for my little scheme. The exchange went thusly:
Julie: I eat cake!
Students: I eat cake!
Julie: I eat cats!
Students: NO, I DON’T.
That’s the first time I’ve ever seen an entire class of student use English so fluently and naturally to convey their emotions. That incident may have just made my year.
Saturday/Sunday
It’s probably not fair to group the two together, but it really was a very low-key weekend. I cleaned, listened to a variety of podcasts during my long drives around the prefecture, and had a Mexican dinner night with The Japanese Best Friend. She and I have been busy planning the next few trips that we want to take. We’re setting our sights for a weekend in Nagoya in July so that we can see The Phantom of the Opera, and then we want to go to Tokyo Disneyland in August. It’s nice to have these trips to look forward to.
Monday
Monday has, arguably, not been the best of days for me. I suspect that the recent changes in my schedule + Information Overload from too many podcasts + too much time thinking about work = slight case of insomnia. At any rate, I had a nice lunch with The Child, who still maintains that I am the exception to his otherwise-ardent xenophobia. I also spent the lunch recess with Hermione, who helped me to get caught up on the gossip stories churning out of the 2nd year class. I am behind in a lot of news, and this is not the way that things should be.
And now, we have Tuesday on the horizon. What, my dear Japan, do you have planned for me next?
I’ve noticed these are mysterious days
I look at it and like a jigsaw puzzle and gaze
