Hi Everybody

I teacher. I the teach!

Yes indeed, today I taught the youth of Japan. I taught them a little about Minnesota, and that we don’t eat hamburgers for breakfast. Then I let them quiz me with such questions as “Who is the prime minister?”, “What is the longest river in Japan?”, and “What does my father do for a living?”. Also popular were questions about Hana Yori Dango (a drama that I mentioned I watched). Little did they know I also have been watching Utaban (a music show) so I know all about the actor who plays the male lead. They were way impressed. Then I pimped out my letterbox (where kids can write to me) and went on to the next class.

Each class is 40 minutes long. I learned and important lesson about stretching before a run, and not wearing high-heels afterwards. I also learned that this is going to suck the majority of my energy, trying to teach and motivate these kids. I always knew that, I guess. I just didn’t know it.

I also ate my first ordered school bento lunch today. It was basically the same as every other bento I’ve ever eaten: apparently well-rounded and healthy. We put our names down on a sheet and tick off all the days that we want a bento lunch to magically appear in the staff room. The sensei who helped me figured this out advised me to get my particular bento because the other two options were “too much food for women”.

I don’t know if she was looking out for me or trying to tell me to loose weight. Either way, the bento I got was filling and I was perfectly happy with it. I had rice with a magic brown sauce, some sort of fishy cake, some sort of tofu cake, a little cup of chicken salad, a little cup of noodle salad, pink ginger (Why is it always pink? I have no idea) and some fried fish with what tasted like Chinese take-out duck sauce.

Also, yesterday I visited my second school, which, although it is older and what one might call run-down, has that really great character feel that comes with an older building. I guess I’m a sucker for nostalgia, even for things about which I have no personal nostalgia. That’s a little ridiculous, maybe, but it also lets me genuinely say “I really enjoy this school building” instead of “Why must I teach in such a place?”. I met a few of the students in the local combini, where I bought my lunch. I’m not sure if they knew I was the new teacher (I tried to say I was, but jumping the Japanese language barrier is difficult, and jumping the deaf Japanese barrier was not that much easier). They seemed very genki (lively).

When I got back to my main school, I experienced teeth-sucking and have a decision of mine be flat-out shot down, Japanese style. Now I know how that works.

Hey! I’m a teacher now!

Coming soon: photos from me making a big old speech at the students. I only screwed up a little bit! And then all the students had to suffer uniform checks on their way out of the gym. Uniform checks! A high school memory that I had completely forgotten.

Also, with regards to the rice cooker comment: My rice cooker expertise is limited to being able to find which button means “go”, and pushing it. Later, I push the “stop” button and the “open the lid” button. Rice is made. I cannot complain.