while there are bunch of things my kids do that amuse/annoy the crap out of me, the latest and greatest one is how whenever kids are copying down stuff word for word from the blackboard, they still manage to make spelling errors. like today. my kids were making xmas cards, and i myself wrote on the board what to write on the inside (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year), and as i went by each student and pointed out where their errors were, immediately, they would look at the blackboard, then look at what they wrote, then say, "Oh! You're right."
dude.... who do you think wrote the example on the board? i'm telling you directly that this is wrong.... dont you think i'm telling you the truth?.... would i lie when i'm the expert English speaker in the room? *shrug*
and in other news, while this isn't exactly something annoying, i think it's adorable... one of my junior high schools had a "spelling contest" for the 2nd years (8th graders). while my image of a spelling contest is a spelling bee, where people take turns spelling words out loud, my teacher's idea of a spelling contest is to give students a list of 100 words, and whoever spells out (writes out) the most amount of correct words is the winner.
some of my favorite mistakes from correcting all 70 or so odd papers were:
- liver, which was supposed to be "river"
- buring, which was supposed to be "bring"
- kids being able to spell "brought", but not "bring"
and
- hore, which was supposed to be "hour"
life is the same as always... school everyday and it's freezing cold (roughly 50F wherever you go... even your own bedroom as you wake up in the morning). compared to last year, i've finally wised up and started to double layer my jackets. last year, all throughout winter (it feels like winter through march), i wore only my traditional t-shirt, fleece jacket, and 1 pair of pants... this year, i feel all the shivering i suffered last year can be prevented, which is why i now wear 2 pairs of pants everyday, 2 jackets, and a t-shirt. i suffer far fewer shivering spells now =D
probably one of the biggest changes in lifestyle now compared to a month ago is that my japanese test is FINALLY over. yay!! whereas before i was studying day in and day out, i now have resigned to reading manga, watching movies everyday, and toying with the idea of making everything i see a new hobby. in my post JLPT days, i've now fulfilled some dreams of mine including FINALLY finishing my 28-volume manga (｢天は赤い河のほとり」, which i started over a year ago, but stopped reading in September in order to study for my test), and finally getting to make peanut butter cookies! not to toot my own horn or anything, but i thought my PB cookies rocked. you know how store-bought PB cookies are always really hard and crumbly? well, i like softer, sweeter cookies, so i didn't bake them as long, and they came out heavenly. and when your "oven" can only fit a pan big enough for 5 cookies, it takes a LOT of patience to make 4 dozen cookies.
i have one more day of real school left, then a joke day of just end-of-term ceremonies, and on saturday, i'm officially on winter break! next monday, me, aaron, and master lees head out to okinawa to enjoy a little bit of warmth before the bitter winter sets in. should be a blast! it was a headache to plan (4 hours of my life sacrificed to the travel agency between 2 afternoons.... talk about decidedly UNHAPPY times), but i think it'll be worth it.
hope all of you back home are doing well... enjoy your christmas and new years!!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
halloween(s)
sorry for the delay! as promised, my Chun-Li pictures! f(^_^;)
a triumphant moment: when it all was finally DONE
at my first of 6 Halloween parties... here's me and one of my favorite teachers, who i used to play badminton with every week
at party #3: Nishi Elementary School. check out my ghetto-rigged spikes!!
^^me trying to capture the impossible: a giant red apple hanging on a string
party #4: for the kids of my town. like last year, this is the first time all 8 of us are in the same place at the same time. historical, really. featured here are: Chun-Li, Waldo, a pirate, Anpanman, a mummy, 2 obachans, and Dracula.
so during this party, kids get a map and set off on what can only really be described as a scavenger hunt, but instead of finding objects, they're looking for people with bags of candy. all they have to do is say "Trick-or-Treat", and candy is as good as theirs.
here are some of the many cute kids that visited my post. please note: the Cinderella and Belle-like costumes were made by the SAME mother out of GARBAGE BAGS. incredible.
despite making a lot of kids happy that day, i have to say i look back on this experience rather unfondly.... i dont know if you can tell, but just to the left of where this picture was taken is the main road, which means EVERYONE passes through here, which also meant a LOT of people saw me in my chun-li outfit... including a lot of middle-aged men driving solo who slowed their cars down, gave me one long look, then suddenly had this sketchy look come across their faces.... *gross*. not to mention all the obachans who walked by and gave me this look like, "what's a prostitute doing in the middle of the morning in the middle of town?"
**sigh**
and finally, here's brian! as always, he was looking for a random adventure in japan, so he figured, why not go to an island right near korea? =P thanks again for coming out here! you're one of the few and the brave (^ ^)v
a triumphant moment: when it all was finally DONE
at my first of 6 Halloween parties... here's me and one of my favorite teachers, who i used to play badminton with every week
at party #3: Nishi Elementary School. check out my ghetto-rigged spikes!!
^^me trying to capture the impossible: a giant red apple hanging on a string
party #4: for the kids of my town. like last year, this is the first time all 8 of us are in the same place at the same time. historical, really. featured here are: Chun-Li, Waldo, a pirate, Anpanman, a mummy, 2 obachans, and Dracula.
so during this party, kids get a map and set off on what can only really be described as a scavenger hunt, but instead of finding objects, they're looking for people with bags of candy. all they have to do is say "Trick-or-Treat", and candy is as good as theirs.
here are some of the many cute kids that visited my post. please note: the Cinderella and Belle-like costumes were made by the SAME mother out of GARBAGE BAGS. incredible.despite making a lot of kids happy that day, i have to say i look back on this experience rather unfondly.... i dont know if you can tell, but just to the left of where this picture was taken is the main road, which means EVERYONE passes through here, which also meant a LOT of people saw me in my chun-li outfit... including a lot of middle-aged men driving solo who slowed their cars down, gave me one long look, then suddenly had this sketchy look come across their faces.... *gross*. not to mention all the obachans who walked by and gave me this look like, "what's a prostitute doing in the middle of the morning in the middle of town?"
**sigh**
and finally, here's brian! as always, he was looking for a random adventure in japan, so he figured, why not go to an island right near korea? =P thanks again for coming out here! you're one of the few and the brave (^ ^)vTuesday, October 16, 2007
euphoria
three weeks, countless blood-drawing stabs, numerous trips to the 100yen shop, and thousands of hand-sewed stitches later, i'm FINALLY, finally done making my Chun-Li costume. *phew*. despite having no access to a sewing machine, that didn't stop me from making what is probably one of the most difficult outfits to be born from Street Fighter 2. and, despite everyone dropping out of doing the Street Fighter idea (about half of us were gung-ho about it in the beginning, but now i'm the ONLY one doing Street Fighter), i decided that after all the blood i've sacrificed making this outfit, i had no choice but push on till the very end.
last night, i finally decided that i was finished, and i have to say, what makes chun-li more than anything else, is the hair. if you have the hair accessories and the stray pieces of white cloth hanging down, in addition to being asian (especially... well, Chinese), you're halfway to looking like her.
thursday marks the beginning of my halloween marathon. i'll have THREE SOLID DAYS of halloween parties... 2 elementary schools on thursday, 1 up in the middle of tsushima on friday (where near all the ALTs are invited to host a day long party for the school), and 1 on saturday for my town, where theoretically all ALTs will be gathered in one place for the first time this year.
only twice before have i attempted to make a shirt for myself, and both times failing miserable. considering i just made a dress completely by hand, and what at least i feel looks halfway convincing, i'm very much in my happy place right now. once my parties are over, look out for pictures which will hopefully be posted this weekend.
now that this costume ordeal is done, i guess it's time to strap down for the JLPT.... *gulp*....
last night, i finally decided that i was finished, and i have to say, what makes chun-li more than anything else, is the hair. if you have the hair accessories and the stray pieces of white cloth hanging down, in addition to being asian (especially... well, Chinese), you're halfway to looking like her.
thursday marks the beginning of my halloween marathon. i'll have THREE SOLID DAYS of halloween parties... 2 elementary schools on thursday, 1 up in the middle of tsushima on friday (where near all the ALTs are invited to host a day long party for the school), and 1 on saturday for my town, where theoretically all ALTs will be gathered in one place for the first time this year.
only twice before have i attempted to make a shirt for myself, and both times failing miserable. considering i just made a dress completely by hand, and what at least i feel looks halfway convincing, i'm very much in my happy place right now. once my parties are over, look out for pictures which will hopefully be posted this weekend.
now that this costume ordeal is done, i guess it's time to strap down for the JLPT.... *gulp*....
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
flags of the world
after being introduced recently to an add-on in facebook, i've been obsessed with upping my traveler's IQ. what the hell am i talking about, you say? it's an application offered through TravelPod (you can click on "Try the Traveler's IQ Challenge" at the top of the page). after many rounds of the "Original World Challenge", where you have to click on a world map as closely as possible to the place they're directing you. for example, if you get Washington DC, you have to be able to place where that is in the world. the more accurately and quickly you can place the location, the more points you get. this has singlehandedly improved my geography knowledge from practically nil to fairly decent in no time at all.
anyway, along with placing cities, capitals, and famous places, there are also other challenges, such as Asia, North America, and the one i've taken a particular interest in, Flags of the World.
after playing this flags of the world game several times, i've come to a new conclusion: some countries have some dumb flags. no offense or anything, but seriously. so many flags have similar colors and styles, or even the same colors but in different orders. what kind of symbolism is that? i'm sure those colors must have some particular meaning, but from just looking at it, it's hard to understand what kind of patriotic feelings they must instill in their people.
3 that have been truly making me angry are the following:
can you figure out which is which?...
answers are: France, then Netherlands, then Russia. to think, horizontal vs. vertical lines make a dramatic difference. and then just the simple swapping of color order makes that drastic of a change. nuts, right?
so this is what my life has been about this past weekend (flags, the traveler's IQ game, and making my Chun-Li outfit). i know talking about flags won't do much to actually change anything, but i just thought i'd express my musings over them.
take a look at belgium and germany:
i dont know about you, but they look pretty similar to me. and to think, again, it's all about vertical vs. horizontal stripes. *sigh*
the one flag that i'm a very big fan of, though, is Cyprus:
it's so brilliant... it has a picture of itself on it!!
i guess what i'm getting at is that i admire flags with symbols on it.. makes them unique. not just bands of color, yanno? even the States has a unique pattern, which makes it so readily distinguishable. i even have to give Canada credit. the maple leaf -- so simple and yet so fitting, no?
another favorite flag would have to be macedonia. very unique pattern:
anyway, along with placing cities, capitals, and famous places, there are also other challenges, such as Asia, North America, and the one i've taken a particular interest in, Flags of the World.
after playing this flags of the world game several times, i've come to a new conclusion: some countries have some dumb flags. no offense or anything, but seriously. so many flags have similar colors and styles, or even the same colors but in different orders. what kind of symbolism is that? i'm sure those colors must have some particular meaning, but from just looking at it, it's hard to understand what kind of patriotic feelings they must instill in their people.
3 that have been truly making me angry are the following:
can you figure out which is which?...
answers are: France, then Netherlands, then Russia. to think, horizontal vs. vertical lines make a dramatic difference. and then just the simple swapping of color order makes that drastic of a change. nuts, right?
so this is what my life has been about this past weekend (flags, the traveler's IQ game, and making my Chun-Li outfit). i know talking about flags won't do much to actually change anything, but i just thought i'd express my musings over them.
take a look at belgium and germany:
i dont know about you, but they look pretty similar to me. and to think, again, it's all about vertical vs. horizontal stripes. *sigh*
the one flag that i'm a very big fan of, though, is Cyprus:
it's so brilliant... it has a picture of itself on it!!
i guess what i'm getting at is that i admire flags with symbols on it.. makes them unique. not just bands of color, yanno? even the States has a unique pattern, which makes it so readily distinguishable. i even have to give Canada credit. the maple leaf -- so simple and yet so fitting, no?
another favorite flag would have to be macedonia. very unique pattern:
if i could go back to college and choose a random flag to hang on my wall, it'd hands down have to be macedonia. very bold colors.... maybe i'm just lame, but i find the design inspiring, and i think i'd have liked it hanging over my bed, encouraging me to not give up amidst studying for midterms and finals.
to see every flag of the world, check out this website.
so if you're bored and you feel like freshening up your geography and vexillology, go to facebook (where you kill most of your time anyway =P), and see what your traveler's IQ is!
to see every flag of the world, check out this website.
so if you're bored and you feel like freshening up your geography and vexillology, go to facebook (where you kill most of your time anyway =P), and see what your traveler's IQ is!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
tragic discoveries
last week during my adult english conversation class, i found out something utterly shocking to me about japanese people. for a long time now, i've wondered why it is my kids always shy away when i ask them something, and why adults always seem to be at a loss for words to explain something to you. but more specifically, i discovered why it is that no one ever seems to express an opinion around here.
in the american education system, we spend many years from high school throughout college, to perfect an essay: how to write introductions, state your hypothesis, support it in your body, and wrap things up in your conclusion. i dont know about you, but for me, that was what i hated MOST about school. i loathed writing papers. but at any rate, learning to write those papers kinda inadvertently taught you how to defend yourself in conversations. you say something, people will challenge you, and you have to either defend what you say, or admit that maybe what you originally thought had some flaws. i dont know about you, but many of my first impressions of people are based off of how intelligently they can explain and support their opinions. i feel like that's how we judge educated people in general (or maybe that's just me...).
in other words, we learn to say opinions and explain why we think whatever. right?
well that's not how the japanese people roll. when i asked people why it is they can't seem to state their opinion, it's because.... they dont have an opinion. because they're never really taught to have an opinion. you know those hours and hours we spent on papers? not in japan! they learn that an essay has an intro, body, and conclusion, but they never really write papers, and they definitely dont have back-and-forth discussions like we do in the States.
when you think about it, their never really learning how to argue something explains why they never state a solid opinion. japanese people hate conflict. while i understand conflict is sometimes bad, as a human being with a functional brain, you gotta have opinions on SOME things, right? am i wrong to assume this?
for the last few weeks, i've been trying to teach my english class how to have a discussion: how to ask someone's opinion, how to respond to their opinions (agree/disagree), how to state your own opinion, and how discuss ideas in a non-confrontational manner. simple enough, right? i guess not, because i keep drawing blank stares and uncomfortable shifting. i finally understand why this is so difficult for them, and maybe i'm just asking the wrong questions, but i'm genuinely interested in what they have to say... if only they wouldn't give up trying to say it in english.
perhaps my approach is too radical for them. what's this? state my opinion? but that means disagreeing with someone else, and if i disagree, i'll look like an asshole... i really wonder if it's that extreme in their minds.
i think the reason why this bothers me so much is that if you want to truly be functional in a language, you have to be able to do more than just 1) talk about yourself and your hometown, and 2) ask about where someone else is from. if you want to develop real skills, i think discussing something is a vital tool you need. while it's interesting to learn that "wow, you're from an island in japan??", i think it's even more fascinating to ask a japanese, "what do you think about wearing uniforms to school?" or "what do you think about japanese baseball players in the major leagues?" or even "what do you think about Sailormoon?!"
we face this cultural and educational gap with the japanese, no question about it. so what can we do? encourage them to be like us? egg them on till they become opinionated? or just let things go and deal with the thought that hey, s/he probably thinks i'm a jerk because i come off so strong?
as the foreigner of my town, i'm supposed to not only spread my language, but my culture too. carrying on discussions is a part of my culture. i want to share it with japanese people, and yet i'm not seemingly getting through. to give up or not give up? that is the question....
in the american education system, we spend many years from high school throughout college, to perfect an essay: how to write introductions, state your hypothesis, support it in your body, and wrap things up in your conclusion. i dont know about you, but for me, that was what i hated MOST about school. i loathed writing papers. but at any rate, learning to write those papers kinda inadvertently taught you how to defend yourself in conversations. you say something, people will challenge you, and you have to either defend what you say, or admit that maybe what you originally thought had some flaws. i dont know about you, but many of my first impressions of people are based off of how intelligently they can explain and support their opinions. i feel like that's how we judge educated people in general (or maybe that's just me...).
in other words, we learn to say opinions and explain why we think whatever. right?
well that's not how the japanese people roll. when i asked people why it is they can't seem to state their opinion, it's because.... they dont have an opinion. because they're never really taught to have an opinion. you know those hours and hours we spent on papers? not in japan! they learn that an essay has an intro, body, and conclusion, but they never really write papers, and they definitely dont have back-and-forth discussions like we do in the States.
when you think about it, their never really learning how to argue something explains why they never state a solid opinion. japanese people hate conflict. while i understand conflict is sometimes bad, as a human being with a functional brain, you gotta have opinions on SOME things, right? am i wrong to assume this?
for the last few weeks, i've been trying to teach my english class how to have a discussion: how to ask someone's opinion, how to respond to their opinions (agree/disagree), how to state your own opinion, and how discuss ideas in a non-confrontational manner. simple enough, right? i guess not, because i keep drawing blank stares and uncomfortable shifting. i finally understand why this is so difficult for them, and maybe i'm just asking the wrong questions, but i'm genuinely interested in what they have to say... if only they wouldn't give up trying to say it in english.
perhaps my approach is too radical for them. what's this? state my opinion? but that means disagreeing with someone else, and if i disagree, i'll look like an asshole... i really wonder if it's that extreme in their minds.
i think the reason why this bothers me so much is that if you want to truly be functional in a language, you have to be able to do more than just 1) talk about yourself and your hometown, and 2) ask about where someone else is from. if you want to develop real skills, i think discussing something is a vital tool you need. while it's interesting to learn that "wow, you're from an island in japan??", i think it's even more fascinating to ask a japanese, "what do you think about wearing uniforms to school?" or "what do you think about japanese baseball players in the major leagues?" or even "what do you think about Sailormoon?!"
we face this cultural and educational gap with the japanese, no question about it. so what can we do? encourage them to be like us? egg them on till they become opinionated? or just let things go and deal with the thought that hey, s/he probably thinks i'm a jerk because i come off so strong?
as the foreigner of my town, i'm supposed to not only spread my language, but my culture too. carrying on discussions is a part of my culture. i want to share it with japanese people, and yet i'm not seemingly getting through. to give up or not give up? that is the question....
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
english in japan
from my time in japan, i have formed a few theories on english. here's what i've observed:
- about 85% of the population here is too embarrassed to speak english, despite studying the language starting in 7th grade, and having compulsory classes until the end of high school
- younger kids (like 1st, 2nd grade) seem to treat english as something of a game, and are more likely than older kids (5th, 6th grade) to voluntarily use it. during classes at my elementary schools, the 1st graders are all about raising their hands and trying to read off all the animals i have posted on the board, as opposed to the 5th graders who are terrified of volunteering because they're afraid of being wrong. note: they haven't even officially started studying english yet!
- the vast majority of adults have a good vocab in english, especially when it's in written form. they understand a lot more english that i'm spitting at them than they're willing to admit. however, when put on the spot to use english, they'll madly shake their heads as if there's a bee in their hair and start wildly crossing their arms as if they're trying to ward off a vampire. in other words, getting adults to form and say a whole english sentence is like pulling teeth.
with these observations in mind, i've repeatedly stumbled over a puzzling question that everyone seems to have their own opinion on, and here it goes:
at what age should japanese children start learning english?
this question first came to my attention when i was being worked like a monkey at my largest elementary school. they were cramming classes in for me every period i spent at their school. at every other school, every child was receiving exactly 1 hour of english each month. why did 1st graders at the largest school deserve 2 hours of instruction each month over the junior high school-bound 6th graders at smaller schools? something in the system seemed out of whack to me.
as you may know, i've been teaching english conversation at night, once a week, to adults in the community for free. into my 10th week now (only 5 more to go!!), i felt it was finally time to teach them how to debate/express opinions and respond to other's opinions.
as the final practice topic last night, i decided to ask them this question and see what a regular japanese schmo thinks about english education in his country.
class consensus: out of 8 people, 7 agreed that english should be taught as early as possible, 1st grade being the latest.... most said starting in kindergarten would be best. the reason for starting as early as possible is because kids are like sponges.... the earlier you start them on something, the more likely it'll stick and the more confident they can be in it.
the remaining person said english should be started in 4th grade because at that age, they'll be able to comprehend what a foreign language is.
and here's my opinion:
in the case of japan, it's apparent to me that 1st grade is too soon, and 7th grade is too late. i've taught 1st graders in their first week of school as 1st graders, and you know what my impression was? that they barely understand japanese. if they can barely comprehend japanese or that they live in a place called "japan", how can they be expected to understand what a "foreign language" is? i seriously still know 2nd graders who spell piano ピヤノ instead of ピアノ. shit, I'M better at japanese than they are.
seriously, if i were those poor group of 1st graders looking up at me on that day, i would have said to myself, "who is this and why is she here?..."
i dont, however, want to take away from what those little 1st graders accomplished that day. they indeed, had excellent pronunciation, considering it was only their first time being introduced to english. they were quick to volunteer to try to repeat what i said, and they were definitely excited about my teaching them (or about my being there?..). while their response was positive, i still don't feel like they realize what i'm attempting to teach them.
one thing that makes japan vastly different from the states is that about 99% of the population grows up knowing only 1 language. in the states, it's not uncommon for people to grow up bilingual, if not trilingual. the struggle to learn english comes from needing it to survive. in japan, the struggle to learn english comes from needing to pass tests, to be able to read papers written in the scholarly world.... this is probably why so many japanese people are terrified of actually speaking any english.
so i look at the energetic 1st graders with their excellent pronunciation and confidence in english, and then i look at the shy 7th graders, terrified of making mistakes, and terrified of saying something wrong. somewhere in between is where these kids need to build their confidence in english, so that by the time they hit 7th grade, they're ready to be taught grammar and tested in a foreign language.
here's my opinion: japanese kids should start learning english in 3rd grade. this way, kids will have the first 2 years in elementary school to get a grip on japanese, and understand that the world is round and that people that live on the other side of the world in many places other than japan speak english. by third grade, there'll still be time to instill confidence in them. i'd suggest just teaching basic greetings and vocab, much like ALTs currently do.
then in 5th grade, i think they should start learning how to write the alphabet. at that time, they still have 2 years before they're tested in english, and that way, they can put in writing what they've been saying for the last 2 years.
at my special english school, kids learn english every week starting in 1st grade. despite this, they are at the same level when they enter junior high school because they can't spell for crap. and that's almost everyone's problem. so what happens to all their confidence in english that's built up since they were 6? gone. out the window. those kids who have been happily using english all those years suddenly find themselves at the bottom of the curve in english, which generates yet another japanese clone who's afraid of english.
this is why i think it's important to start writing earlier than later. for me, if i can't put a kanji to a vocab word in japanese, i can't remember what it means. also, when people can see the power of phonics and sounding out a word, they become that much more empowered in english.
this is all, of course, just my opinion. english will eventually become mandatory in elementary schools. who knows how that'll work out. most elementary school teachers are no different than the average adult: they're just as terrified at the thought of trying to pronounce english. i've seriously asked some teachers before to just say a few words in english, and they all freeze up and do the mad head-shaking-hand-crossing dance. *sigh*. teacher, if i can't use you as a role model for these kids, who can i?
if anyone else is fascinated by this question, let me know what you think. how old should japanese kids be when they start to learn english?
- about 85% of the population here is too embarrassed to speak english, despite studying the language starting in 7th grade, and having compulsory classes until the end of high school
- younger kids (like 1st, 2nd grade) seem to treat english as something of a game, and are more likely than older kids (5th, 6th grade) to voluntarily use it. during classes at my elementary schools, the 1st graders are all about raising their hands and trying to read off all the animals i have posted on the board, as opposed to the 5th graders who are terrified of volunteering because they're afraid of being wrong. note: they haven't even officially started studying english yet!
- the vast majority of adults have a good vocab in english, especially when it's in written form. they understand a lot more english that i'm spitting at them than they're willing to admit. however, when put on the spot to use english, they'll madly shake their heads as if there's a bee in their hair and start wildly crossing their arms as if they're trying to ward off a vampire. in other words, getting adults to form and say a whole english sentence is like pulling teeth.
with these observations in mind, i've repeatedly stumbled over a puzzling question that everyone seems to have their own opinion on, and here it goes:
at what age should japanese children start learning english?
this question first came to my attention when i was being worked like a monkey at my largest elementary school. they were cramming classes in for me every period i spent at their school. at every other school, every child was receiving exactly 1 hour of english each month. why did 1st graders at the largest school deserve 2 hours of instruction each month over the junior high school-bound 6th graders at smaller schools? something in the system seemed out of whack to me.
as you may know, i've been teaching english conversation at night, once a week, to adults in the community for free. into my 10th week now (only 5 more to go!!), i felt it was finally time to teach them how to debate/express opinions and respond to other's opinions.
as the final practice topic last night, i decided to ask them this question and see what a regular japanese schmo thinks about english education in his country.
class consensus: out of 8 people, 7 agreed that english should be taught as early as possible, 1st grade being the latest.... most said starting in kindergarten would be best. the reason for starting as early as possible is because kids are like sponges.... the earlier you start them on something, the more likely it'll stick and the more confident they can be in it.
the remaining person said english should be started in 4th grade because at that age, they'll be able to comprehend what a foreign language is.
and here's my opinion:
in the case of japan, it's apparent to me that 1st grade is too soon, and 7th grade is too late. i've taught 1st graders in their first week of school as 1st graders, and you know what my impression was? that they barely understand japanese. if they can barely comprehend japanese or that they live in a place called "japan", how can they be expected to understand what a "foreign language" is? i seriously still know 2nd graders who spell piano ピヤノ instead of ピアノ. shit, I'M better at japanese than they are.
seriously, if i were those poor group of 1st graders looking up at me on that day, i would have said to myself, "who is this and why is she here?..."
i dont, however, want to take away from what those little 1st graders accomplished that day. they indeed, had excellent pronunciation, considering it was only their first time being introduced to english. they were quick to volunteer to try to repeat what i said, and they were definitely excited about my teaching them (or about my being there?..). while their response was positive, i still don't feel like they realize what i'm attempting to teach them.
one thing that makes japan vastly different from the states is that about 99% of the population grows up knowing only 1 language. in the states, it's not uncommon for people to grow up bilingual, if not trilingual. the struggle to learn english comes from needing it to survive. in japan, the struggle to learn english comes from needing to pass tests, to be able to read papers written in the scholarly world.... this is probably why so many japanese people are terrified of actually speaking any english.
so i look at the energetic 1st graders with their excellent pronunciation and confidence in english, and then i look at the shy 7th graders, terrified of making mistakes, and terrified of saying something wrong. somewhere in between is where these kids need to build their confidence in english, so that by the time they hit 7th grade, they're ready to be taught grammar and tested in a foreign language.
here's my opinion: japanese kids should start learning english in 3rd grade. this way, kids will have the first 2 years in elementary school to get a grip on japanese, and understand that the world is round and that people that live on the other side of the world in many places other than japan speak english. by third grade, there'll still be time to instill confidence in them. i'd suggest just teaching basic greetings and vocab, much like ALTs currently do.
then in 5th grade, i think they should start learning how to write the alphabet. at that time, they still have 2 years before they're tested in english, and that way, they can put in writing what they've been saying for the last 2 years.
at my special english school, kids learn english every week starting in 1st grade. despite this, they are at the same level when they enter junior high school because they can't spell for crap. and that's almost everyone's problem. so what happens to all their confidence in english that's built up since they were 6? gone. out the window. those kids who have been happily using english all those years suddenly find themselves at the bottom of the curve in english, which generates yet another japanese clone who's afraid of english.
this is why i think it's important to start writing earlier than later. for me, if i can't put a kanji to a vocab word in japanese, i can't remember what it means. also, when people can see the power of phonics and sounding out a word, they become that much more empowered in english.
this is all, of course, just my opinion. english will eventually become mandatory in elementary schools. who knows how that'll work out. most elementary school teachers are no different than the average adult: they're just as terrified at the thought of trying to pronounce english. i've seriously asked some teachers before to just say a few words in english, and they all freeze up and do the mad head-shaking-hand-crossing dance. *sigh*. teacher, if i can't use you as a role model for these kids, who can i?
if anyone else is fascinated by this question, let me know what you think. how old should japanese kids be when they start to learn english?
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
back to school
so my long and beautiful summer finally came to an end, and alas, i'm back at school. so far, though, my schedule has been pretty light. last week (the first week back), my first two days were completely empty, and this week, because all my students are done taking tests and preparing for Sports Day this Sunday, there's been a moratorium on classes. i had one today, none tomorrow, and one again on friday. sweet? i think so.
so far, the highlights of my last week and a half:
- trying to teach my kids body parts and verbs to go along with it, such as stand up and sit down. when i tried asking them, what's [stand up]? a kid replies: "Stand down!"
- my largest elementary school FINALLY listening to me (and my higher ups) and cutting down not only the number of classes i have at that school, but the number of students per class. what used to be 6 then 4 classes on a wednesday and friday have now turned into 5 and 4 (only 1 class less, but you have no idea how less painful that makes my day there). also, what used to be 60-80 kids per lesson is now magically 30-40. all of this equals a MUCH happier evelyn.
- finally discovering that the evil, highly explosive propane powered shower of mine actually DOES have more settings than scalding hot and freezing cold. note that i have lived here since the beginning of may, and this whole time, i've been trying to find some magical button that will give me less than scalding water, while still maintaining the flame that warms my water (having that flame stay on is even less predictable than when a baby is going to take its next dump). and last week, just last week, i FINALLY found it. it was set to "medium" gas quantities till now, and it was hidden behind the hose that directs my propane to the shower. this WHOLE time it was RIGHT frickin there... arrrgh. anyway, i now enjoy lukewarm showers! granted, it's still not the ideal temperature, but i'll take whatever i can get.
- i discovered that i can kinda bake! in preparation for a BBQ, i made oatmeal raisin cookies, and they actually came out pretty well if i may say so myself. it definitely had the right amount of sweetness to satisfy americans (i wonder if it was too sweet for japanese people?...). they were probably a little too much on the soft side, but when i think about it, i really dont like hard, crunchy oatmeal cookies. so yeah... my soft cookies were a pleasant change =) although i have to admit, it's kind of a pain when my oven can only fit 4 cookies at a time.... needless to say, it took a slight while to bake all of them.
that's about all i have to say for now.... that and i can't believe it's already been 6 years since 9/11. that's kinda nuts... has time already flown by that fast?
and with that, i'm leaving you with a picture of my new ALT family (well, most of it):
Aaron, Mike, Mitch, Rob, Adam, and me at our Mexican Food Party!
so far, the highlights of my last week and a half:
- trying to teach my kids body parts and verbs to go along with it, such as stand up and sit down. when i tried asking them, what's [stand up]? a kid replies: "Stand down!"
- my largest elementary school FINALLY listening to me (and my higher ups) and cutting down not only the number of classes i have at that school, but the number of students per class. what used to be 6 then 4 classes on a wednesday and friday have now turned into 5 and 4 (only 1 class less, but you have no idea how less painful that makes my day there). also, what used to be 60-80 kids per lesson is now magically 30-40. all of this equals a MUCH happier evelyn.
- finally discovering that the evil, highly explosive propane powered shower of mine actually DOES have more settings than scalding hot and freezing cold. note that i have lived here since the beginning of may, and this whole time, i've been trying to find some magical button that will give me less than scalding water, while still maintaining the flame that warms my water (having that flame stay on is even less predictable than when a baby is going to take its next dump). and last week, just last week, i FINALLY found it. it was set to "medium" gas quantities till now, and it was hidden behind the hose that directs my propane to the shower. this WHOLE time it was RIGHT frickin there... arrrgh. anyway, i now enjoy lukewarm showers! granted, it's still not the ideal temperature, but i'll take whatever i can get.
- i discovered that i can kinda bake! in preparation for a BBQ, i made oatmeal raisin cookies, and they actually came out pretty well if i may say so myself. it definitely had the right amount of sweetness to satisfy americans (i wonder if it was too sweet for japanese people?...). they were probably a little too much on the soft side, but when i think about it, i really dont like hard, crunchy oatmeal cookies. so yeah... my soft cookies were a pleasant change =) although i have to admit, it's kind of a pain when my oven can only fit 4 cookies at a time.... needless to say, it took a slight while to bake all of them.
that's about all i have to say for now.... that and i can't believe it's already been 6 years since 9/11. that's kinda nuts... has time already flown by that fast?
and with that, i'm leaving you with a picture of my new ALT family (well, most of it):
Aaron, Mike, Mitch, Rob, Adam, and me at our Mexican Food Party!Monday, August 27, 2007
The Money Pit
this weekend, in a last ditch effort to get stuff i'd like/need before school starts up again, aaron and i decided to take a trip to Fukuoka, the closest mainland city to us. i've lost track now, but this is probably my 4th or so trip to Fukuoka, and just as i feared, history repeated itself yet again.
it is officially, for me at least, the Money Pit.
every time i've made a trip out there, i've consistently gone there with the intention of buying a thing or two, but it ALWAYS comes out to be a $500 trip, blown in one weekend to say the least. for me, going to fukuoka requires at the bare minimum, roundtrip tickets on a ferry, jetfoil, or plane, so that's at least $80 you're locked into. then you have the at least one nights stay in a hostel or hotel, and that's generally $40-70. so right off the bat, you're down, say, $150 (on the conservative end).
so where does the remaining $350 go? i don't know. really -- i dont know. times before, it's been a Costco run (which i did this time too).... a badminton racket, speakers, clothes, used manga... food.... i'd like to think that my frugality would naturally limit my spending, but somehow, fukuoka always magically takes all my money away.
but this time, i know exactly why i got back to the island with as little change as i did. i did it folks -- i turned to the dark side. i bought a DS Lite.
**blush**
as random as it may sound, and i'm not much of a gamer if you know me well, i've actually been eyeing DSes for a while now, with the sole intention of obtaining these kanji games (yes, i know, i'm a nerd). with the test i plan on taking in december, i figured a DS would be a more enjoyable environment to drill those kanji into my head.
as fate would have it, aaron bought a DS since they didn't have dvd-burners that would work with his computer. watching him play made me realize how much i wanted one too (yes, i'm a biter), so i too gave in.
since he got the kanji game i wanted, i instead got this game training you in [japanese] common knowledge. so far, it's proved to be long-winded for me, mainly because i have to stop every few seconds to look up kanji in both questions and multiple choice answers. regardless, i have managed to learn quite a bit from it, and that's enough for me to justify my purchase o(^ ^)o
however, i quickly realized how straining it can be to only have games that are more focused on studying than mindless play. so yesterday, i gave into temptation yet again, and got Mario Kart. it's quite fun and i'd highly recommend it to people who like racing games (like me!).
i can't believe how fast my summer went by.... but at the same time, i feel like it's been pretty eventful. went home home, came back, got my license, got to know some of the newbies, went to fukuoka, got some volumes of my current manga obsession read.... productive indeed =)
oh, and one last thing: if you're into psychotically HOT food, especially indian food, and are passing through Fukuoka anytime, i'd HIGHLY recommend a place called Shakti. it's an indian restaurant that aaron and i stumbled upon on the restaurant floor of Yodobashi Camera, which is right next to Hakata Station.
first of all, this is the first place i've heard of a spicy scale that goes over 10. instead, they go from 0-50. but this being japan and japanese people not really doing the spicy thing, indian restaurants tend to be a crapshoot in that you never know if the spicy scale is the TRUE spicy scale (like what americans are used to), or the pansy scale (ie. what japanese people consider hot).
being daring, i went for a 30 while aaron went for a 40. can i just say, OW.
i drank so much water to mitigate the burning that by the end of dinner, most of the curry dish was still there, and i wasn't full so much as full of water. i barely ate anything because my tongue couldnt touch anything without extreme pain. never have i experienced food burning my tongue when it was in my mouth, burning my esophagus when it went was passing through, and burn the lining of my stomach as it was being digested. i dont know what was in that curry, but it had some atomic power.
so bottom line: if you dare to eat hot food, i dare you to go to Shakti =P
it is officially, for me at least, the Money Pit.
every time i've made a trip out there, i've consistently gone there with the intention of buying a thing or two, but it ALWAYS comes out to be a $500 trip, blown in one weekend to say the least. for me, going to fukuoka requires at the bare minimum, roundtrip tickets on a ferry, jetfoil, or plane, so that's at least $80 you're locked into. then you have the at least one nights stay in a hostel or hotel, and that's generally $40-70. so right off the bat, you're down, say, $150 (on the conservative end).
so where does the remaining $350 go? i don't know. really -- i dont know. times before, it's been a Costco run (which i did this time too).... a badminton racket, speakers, clothes, used manga... food.... i'd like to think that my frugality would naturally limit my spending, but somehow, fukuoka always magically takes all my money away.
but this time, i know exactly why i got back to the island with as little change as i did. i did it folks -- i turned to the dark side. i bought a DS Lite.
**blush**
as random as it may sound, and i'm not much of a gamer if you know me well, i've actually been eyeing DSes for a while now, with the sole intention of obtaining these kanji games (yes, i know, i'm a nerd). with the test i plan on taking in december, i figured a DS would be a more enjoyable environment to drill those kanji into my head.
as fate would have it, aaron bought a DS since they didn't have dvd-burners that would work with his computer. watching him play made me realize how much i wanted one too (yes, i'm a biter), so i too gave in.
since he got the kanji game i wanted, i instead got this game training you in [japanese] common knowledge. so far, it's proved to be long-winded for me, mainly because i have to stop every few seconds to look up kanji in both questions and multiple choice answers. regardless, i have managed to learn quite a bit from it, and that's enough for me to justify my purchase o(^ ^)o
however, i quickly realized how straining it can be to only have games that are more focused on studying than mindless play. so yesterday, i gave into temptation yet again, and got Mario Kart. it's quite fun and i'd highly recommend it to people who like racing games (like me!).
i can't believe how fast my summer went by.... but at the same time, i feel like it's been pretty eventful. went home home, came back, got my license, got to know some of the newbies, went to fukuoka, got some volumes of my current manga obsession read.... productive indeed =)
oh, and one last thing: if you're into psychotically HOT food, especially indian food, and are passing through Fukuoka anytime, i'd HIGHLY recommend a place called Shakti. it's an indian restaurant that aaron and i stumbled upon on the restaurant floor of Yodobashi Camera, which is right next to Hakata Station.
first of all, this is the first place i've heard of a spicy scale that goes over 10. instead, they go from 0-50. but this being japan and japanese people not really doing the spicy thing, indian restaurants tend to be a crapshoot in that you never know if the spicy scale is the TRUE spicy scale (like what americans are used to), or the pansy scale (ie. what japanese people consider hot).
being daring, i went for a 30 while aaron went for a 40. can i just say, OW.
i drank so much water to mitigate the burning that by the end of dinner, most of the curry dish was still there, and i wasn't full so much as full of water. i barely ate anything because my tongue couldnt touch anything without extreme pain. never have i experienced food burning my tongue when it was in my mouth, burning my esophagus when it went was passing through, and burn the lining of my stomach as it was being digested. i dont know what was in that curry, but it had some atomic power.
so bottom line: if you dare to eat hot food, i dare you to go to Shakti =P
Friday, August 17, 2007
getting my drivers license... all over again
wow, has it been ages since i've updated this thing. to highlight what's happened in the last month and a half:
- went back to America
- met my nephew
- saw my family and friends
- came back to Tsushima (after a solid 24 hours in transit)... puked on the plane as it landed in Fukuoka (my 2nd plane back)... you now know someone who's used a barf bag! my final mode of transportation was a ferry, which you'd think sounds like a bad idea just after throwing up on a plane, but i passed out so hard it didn't even matter (the ferry took off at midnight and docked at 5am)
- left Tsushima a week later to go to Nagasaki-city where i tragically had to take my driver's license test.... details which i will divulge now.
so some of you have asked me, wait, haven't you been driving for the last year in japan? why do you suddenly now need to take a licensing test? so there's this rule that if you have what's called an International Driver's Permit (IDP), which you BUY, not EARN by taking some test, you can carry the IDP along with your home country's license for one year and be a valid driver in Japan.
so relax! i've been a legal driver for the last year. however, once your IDP expires (which is only good for a year), you have to get a Japanese license to drive here. which is why i had to go to to the mainland to a city called Omura in my prefecture.
i've been driving for about 4 years now. you'd think that makes me a pretty decent driver, right? WRONG. let me now describe to you the pain of obtaining a license in this country.
first off, before you make any phone calls for an appointment at the japanese DMV, you need to send a copy of your home country license to a separate agency to translate it into Japanese. of course, you have to pay for this translation. after it's mailed to you (which they're luckily very quick about), THEN you can make your appointment at this place in Omura.
lucky for me, this is prime foreigner-trying-to-transfer-licenses-time, so under panic, i decided to get all this crap done before i left for the States. between talking to my office and Toyota-san, i sent in my request for a translation, booked an appointment at the DMV, and booked a plane off the island for the morning of my appointment all in the day before i left for home. not bad, eh?
then came the hard part. after getting back to japan, it started to sink in that i was going to take this test. i have 3 free vacation days this month (a special thing through my prefecture), and since i can't use it any other time, i figured i'd use these 3 days to get my license. after that, my vacation days would start coming out of my 20 days of vacation in the year (everyone holds onto vacation days like gold coins here).
after a lot of prepping from Aaron and reading up on a couple of sites, i think i had the main idea of what i needed to do. just go give you an idea of what they're looking for, you need to:
- constantly look over your shoulders for bicyclists and moped drivers
- constantly bear to the left part of your lane, even though you have the whole lane to drive in
- look twice over your shoulder for bicyclists when trying to make a turn, and pull waaay into the bicyclists and mopedists way so they dont try to pull up beside you and you eventually hit them as you turn
- constantly look into ALL your mirrors for other drivers
- did i mention the test takes place on a course?
- hug the curb TIGHTLY whenever turning
- constantly have your signal on well in advance
- adjust your seat, put on your seatbelt, and adjust your mirrors IN THAT ORDER
- brake fully BEFORE entering a bend in the road, as opposed to the American thought that says brake as entering the bend
- successfully drive through an S-Curve and what they call the "Crank"
- the S-Curve is shaped like an S, but is outlined by sidewalks on both sides. think of a parking spot. take that width and stretch it out into an S. yup. THAT tight.
- the Crank is shaped like one line of a swatstika... so you pull into the Crank, then you're looking at a right angled turn to the right, then an immediate right angled turn to the left. painful. again, sidewalk/curb on both sides, parking spot width, and also these hanging yellow bars that flank the turns that will move and jingle if you hit them.
so to summarize, during the test you're constantly looking everywhere EXCEPT directly in front of you, your signal's constantly clicking, and you're sweating bullets through these 2 near-impossible turns designed to be impossible. awesome, no?
so monday, i arrive in Omura, and 10 minutes after landing, i'm at the DMV. i check in, except i'm "too early" because foreigner drivers can't check in until 10:30am. i look at the clock and it's 10:10. *rolling eyes*. so as i sat and waited, i saw on one of their marquees that foreinger check in is everyday from 10:30-11am. talk about a tight timeframe.
finally, it's 10:30, and they take all my documents (including my current and former California license, passport, and Alien Registration Card), essentially holding my identity hostage. after a bit, they come out, and tell me that it's time to take the written test.
their written test is a joke. it's 10 questions, true or false, complete with pictures and poor english. seriously, you'd have to be a retard to not score at least 8/10 on that test. i mean seriously. one of the questions were:
- went back to America
- met my nephew
- saw my family and friends
- came back to Tsushima (after a solid 24 hours in transit)... puked on the plane as it landed in Fukuoka (my 2nd plane back)... you now know someone who's used a barf bag! my final mode of transportation was a ferry, which you'd think sounds like a bad idea just after throwing up on a plane, but i passed out so hard it didn't even matter (the ferry took off at midnight and docked at 5am)
- left Tsushima a week later to go to Nagasaki-city where i tragically had to take my driver's license test.... details which i will divulge now.
so some of you have asked me, wait, haven't you been driving for the last year in japan? why do you suddenly now need to take a licensing test? so there's this rule that if you have what's called an International Driver's Permit (IDP), which you BUY, not EARN by taking some test, you can carry the IDP along with your home country's license for one year and be a valid driver in Japan.
so relax! i've been a legal driver for the last year. however, once your IDP expires (which is only good for a year), you have to get a Japanese license to drive here. which is why i had to go to to the mainland to a city called Omura in my prefecture.
i've been driving for about 4 years now. you'd think that makes me a pretty decent driver, right? WRONG. let me now describe to you the pain of obtaining a license in this country.
first off, before you make any phone calls for an appointment at the japanese DMV, you need to send a copy of your home country license to a separate agency to translate it into Japanese. of course, you have to pay for this translation. after it's mailed to you (which they're luckily very quick about), THEN you can make your appointment at this place in Omura.
lucky for me, this is prime foreigner-trying-to-transfer-licenses-time, so under panic, i decided to get all this crap done before i left for the States. between talking to my office and Toyota-san, i sent in my request for a translation, booked an appointment at the DMV, and booked a plane off the island for the morning of my appointment all in the day before i left for home. not bad, eh?
then came the hard part. after getting back to japan, it started to sink in that i was going to take this test. i have 3 free vacation days this month (a special thing through my prefecture), and since i can't use it any other time, i figured i'd use these 3 days to get my license. after that, my vacation days would start coming out of my 20 days of vacation in the year (everyone holds onto vacation days like gold coins here).
after a lot of prepping from Aaron and reading up on a couple of sites, i think i had the main idea of what i needed to do. just go give you an idea of what they're looking for, you need to:
- constantly look over your shoulders for bicyclists and moped drivers
- constantly bear to the left part of your lane, even though you have the whole lane to drive in
- look twice over your shoulder for bicyclists when trying to make a turn, and pull waaay into the bicyclists and mopedists way so they dont try to pull up beside you and you eventually hit them as you turn
- constantly look into ALL your mirrors for other drivers
- did i mention the test takes place on a course?
- hug the curb TIGHTLY whenever turning
- constantly have your signal on well in advance
- adjust your seat, put on your seatbelt, and adjust your mirrors IN THAT ORDER
- brake fully BEFORE entering a bend in the road, as opposed to the American thought that says brake as entering the bend
- successfully drive through an S-Curve and what they call the "Crank"
- the S-Curve is shaped like an S, but is outlined by sidewalks on both sides. think of a parking spot. take that width and stretch it out into an S. yup. THAT tight.
- the Crank is shaped like one line of a swatstika... so you pull into the Crank, then you're looking at a right angled turn to the right, then an immediate right angled turn to the left. painful. again, sidewalk/curb on both sides, parking spot width, and also these hanging yellow bars that flank the turns that will move and jingle if you hit them.
so to summarize, during the test you're constantly looking everywhere EXCEPT directly in front of you, your signal's constantly clicking, and you're sweating bullets through these 2 near-impossible turns designed to be impossible. awesome, no?
so monday, i arrive in Omura, and 10 minutes after landing, i'm at the DMV. i check in, except i'm "too early" because foreigner drivers can't check in until 10:30am. i look at the clock and it's 10:10. *rolling eyes*. so as i sat and waited, i saw on one of their marquees that foreinger check in is everyday from 10:30-11am. talk about a tight timeframe.
finally, it's 10:30, and they take all my documents (including my current and former California license, passport, and Alien Registration Card), essentially holding my identity hostage. after a bit, they come out, and tell me that it's time to take the written test.
their written test is a joke. it's 10 questions, true or false, complete with pictures and poor english. seriously, you'd have to be a retard to not score at least 8/10 on that test. i mean seriously. one of the questions were:
"I hear the sirens of an ambulance behind me as i'm approaching an intersection, but i hurry up and speed along ahead anyway."
another brilliant one was:
"I'm about to turn right through an intersection, but because there's a car approaching the intersection from the other direction and going straight, and yet another car in the opposite direction about to turn left at that corner, i can't turn yet because i'll disrupt the flow of their traffic."
it really isn't brain surgery, folks. anyway, i passed my test with a perfect score. but that was the easy part. by the time i'm done with this , it's 11:30, i'm starving, and i need to check in for my practical at 1:00.
so i walked down the street to a convenience store, bought some lunch, walked back, ate it, and headed over to the course. the nice thing about their system, i have to say, is that they at least let you walk the course before your test. you're also given a map of the course, so you should be at least able to remember in part where you're going and what challenges are up ahead. i walked it twice, and after being thoroughly soaked in sweat from humidity and dragging my overnight bag around with me, i finally decide to sit in the waiting room and await my test time.
finally, i'm up, and i'm the first one to go in my car. usually, they let the next person sit in back when it's your turn so they get a feel for what the course looks like. mind you, there's 3 foreingers that day taking the test, and i'm the only one taking it for the first time, and yet, they STILL make me go first.
i thought everything was going well... that is, until i ran over a curb. you know, i really can't remember ever running over a curb, except maybe the first few times i parked or parallel parked, but definitely never as i was turning onto the road. it was just after getting through the S-curve, and of all things, i had to run over the curb coming OUT of it. not getting IN, not DURING, but coming OUT. arrrgh. i got through the Crank fine too (granted i had to back up, but it was better than running over the curb again).
but here's the messed up part. the S curve was at the beginning of my test, and right after i ran over it, the proctor told me i failed. i know, because i understand japanese, that the proctors were giving all the japanese people taking the test for the first time that you need at least 70/100 points to pass your test. you're telling me that running that ONE curb cost me 30 points? that's such crap.
this is where my conspiracy theory comes in. the more times foreigners fail, the more everyone benefits (except the foreigner). people like me, who aren't from the mainland, and instead are waaay out on an island, are forced to stay an extra day, so there's at least 1 nights lodging. everyone in the DMV will ask you, "did you take a practice test? did you go to the driving school across the street and try to practice? it's hard to pass on the first try without practicing..." and each time you take the test, you have to pay for the test again (about $20). the more people taking the test, the more money the DMV gets, and the more job security all the proctors are given. makes me sick.
anyway, day 1: failure. to cheer myself up, i explore the area, and stumble upon a Best Denki, kinda like a Best Buy. in the back, there's a big screen section, which faces a massage chair section. what else better do i have to do than score a free 15 minute full body massage from a $2,500 chair? =D
day 2: i spot a white girl, who i know instantly is a fellow JET. but from the ungodly hour that she arrived, i know she was a first timer. i eventually befriended her, and together, we vowed to not spend anymore vacation days on this bs.
turns out we were the only 2 foreigners taking the test that day. since we're only transferring our license and not learning to drive for the first time, we go before all the japanese people. the proctor who's testing us comes up to us, gives us some advice, and then we were off. he didn't signal who to go first, so i insisted that she go first.
in my opinion, she did a fantastic job. nothing major she could have been dinged for. then it was my turn. rather than tell her what she did wrong before my test, he tells us to switch, so i start my test as she waits in the backseat.
i go through my test, doing every anal thing i've been told to do, hit no curbs, and think to myself, i had to have passed. i MUST.
my test is finally over, and he starts to tell me what i did wrong. takes my sheet, and starts docking points all over the page. then he tells her what she did wrong. docks points all over the place. he adds up her points.... and she passes. then he adds up my points (mind you the jerk knocked off more points for me than her because my test was fresher in his mind).... and i passed! thank god i didn't have to stay there one more day.... i think i would have started to slaughter proctors.
anyway, we both graciously thank him a billion times, then walk back elated to the DMV building to obtain our licenses. after ensuring i had a spot on the last plane back to the island, we sat around waiting for them to call our names. by 3:30, i was an unproud holder of a japanese drivers license.
unproud you say? granted i worked my ass for it, but at the same time breaking all the driving logic i've ever known. my proctor on day 1 even said to me that i was "good at driving", as in staying on the road, not turning the car as i look over my shoulder, stopping appropriately and stuff.... but like i said before, this test isn't about skill. rather, it's about conforming to their dumb little "driving dance". if anyone actually drove the way you're supposed to during this test, i guarantee you, this country would see a lot more accidents caused by rearing-ending the person in front of you.
i now kinda understand the whole bad asian woman driver stereotype. if half the asian women out there drive like how japanese people are SUPPOSED to drive, then i too would fear for my life. no worries, i plan on promptly forgetting all the japanese driving habits i've picked up this week, and return to driving like a sane, logical driver.
it really isn't brain surgery, folks. anyway, i passed my test with a perfect score. but that was the easy part. by the time i'm done with this , it's 11:30, i'm starving, and i need to check in for my practical at 1:00.
so i walked down the street to a convenience store, bought some lunch, walked back, ate it, and headed over to the course. the nice thing about their system, i have to say, is that they at least let you walk the course before your test. you're also given a map of the course, so you should be at least able to remember in part where you're going and what challenges are up ahead. i walked it twice, and after being thoroughly soaked in sweat from humidity and dragging my overnight bag around with me, i finally decide to sit in the waiting room and await my test time.
finally, i'm up, and i'm the first one to go in my car. usually, they let the next person sit in back when it's your turn so they get a feel for what the course looks like. mind you, there's 3 foreingers that day taking the test, and i'm the only one taking it for the first time, and yet, they STILL make me go first.
i thought everything was going well... that is, until i ran over a curb. you know, i really can't remember ever running over a curb, except maybe the first few times i parked or parallel parked, but definitely never as i was turning onto the road. it was just after getting through the S-curve, and of all things, i had to run over the curb coming OUT of it. not getting IN, not DURING, but coming OUT. arrrgh. i got through the Crank fine too (granted i had to back up, but it was better than running over the curb again).
but here's the messed up part. the S curve was at the beginning of my test, and right after i ran over it, the proctor told me i failed. i know, because i understand japanese, that the proctors were giving all the japanese people taking the test for the first time that you need at least 70/100 points to pass your test. you're telling me that running that ONE curb cost me 30 points? that's such crap.
this is where my conspiracy theory comes in. the more times foreigners fail, the more everyone benefits (except the foreigner). people like me, who aren't from the mainland, and instead are waaay out on an island, are forced to stay an extra day, so there's at least 1 nights lodging. everyone in the DMV will ask you, "did you take a practice test? did you go to the driving school across the street and try to practice? it's hard to pass on the first try without practicing..." and each time you take the test, you have to pay for the test again (about $20). the more people taking the test, the more money the DMV gets, and the more job security all the proctors are given. makes me sick.
anyway, day 1: failure. to cheer myself up, i explore the area, and stumble upon a Best Denki, kinda like a Best Buy. in the back, there's a big screen section, which faces a massage chair section. what else better do i have to do than score a free 15 minute full body massage from a $2,500 chair? =D
day 2: i spot a white girl, who i know instantly is a fellow JET. but from the ungodly hour that she arrived, i know she was a first timer. i eventually befriended her, and together, we vowed to not spend anymore vacation days on this bs.
turns out we were the only 2 foreigners taking the test that day. since we're only transferring our license and not learning to drive for the first time, we go before all the japanese people. the proctor who's testing us comes up to us, gives us some advice, and then we were off. he didn't signal who to go first, so i insisted that she go first.
in my opinion, she did a fantastic job. nothing major she could have been dinged for. then it was my turn. rather than tell her what she did wrong before my test, he tells us to switch, so i start my test as she waits in the backseat.
i go through my test, doing every anal thing i've been told to do, hit no curbs, and think to myself, i had to have passed. i MUST.
my test is finally over, and he starts to tell me what i did wrong. takes my sheet, and starts docking points all over the page. then he tells her what she did wrong. docks points all over the place. he adds up her points.... and she passes. then he adds up my points (mind you the jerk knocked off more points for me than her because my test was fresher in his mind).... and i passed! thank god i didn't have to stay there one more day.... i think i would have started to slaughter proctors.
anyway, we both graciously thank him a billion times, then walk back elated to the DMV building to obtain our licenses. after ensuring i had a spot on the last plane back to the island, we sat around waiting for them to call our names. by 3:30, i was an unproud holder of a japanese drivers license.
unproud you say? granted i worked my ass for it, but at the same time breaking all the driving logic i've ever known. my proctor on day 1 even said to me that i was "good at driving", as in staying on the road, not turning the car as i look over my shoulder, stopping appropriately and stuff.... but like i said before, this test isn't about skill. rather, it's about conforming to their dumb little "driving dance". if anyone actually drove the way you're supposed to during this test, i guarantee you, this country would see a lot more accidents caused by rearing-ending the person in front of you.
i now kinda understand the whole bad asian woman driver stereotype. if half the asian women out there drive like how japanese people are SUPPOSED to drive, then i too would fear for my life. no worries, i plan on promptly forgetting all the japanese driving habits i've picked up this week, and return to driving like a sane, logical driver.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
how to annoy a japanese child
this month, i plan on teaching my elementary school students directions, and at the end of class, i'm having them play "pin the tail on the horse" (much because they know how to say "horse" and not "donkey"). anyway, before they come to class, i draw 2 horses on the board (one for each class in the grade), without tails, and for the game, i blindfold a kid, and have their classmates give him/her directions as to where and when to pin the tail.
however, little did i know that with japanese children's upbringings, they can't stand imperfection. between only 3 classes, i must have had at least 30 or 40 kids come up to me or yell at me from across the room that my horses were missing tails. my response: "you'll find out later" or "they're NOT missing tails", and proceed to hold up the beautiful tail i drew, laminated, and added magnets to.
so bottom line, if you want to annoy a japanese child, draw a picture of an animal that needs a tail, DON'T draw the tail, and force them to stare at it for 30 minutes before you start the game. muahahahah! ;D
(believe it or not, i dont torture japanese children on a regular basis...)
however, little did i know that with japanese children's upbringings, they can't stand imperfection. between only 3 classes, i must have had at least 30 or 40 kids come up to me or yell at me from across the room that my horses were missing tails. my response: "you'll find out later" or "they're NOT missing tails", and proceed to hold up the beautiful tail i drew, laminated, and added magnets to.
so bottom line, if you want to annoy a japanese child, draw a picture of an animal that needs a tail, DON'T draw the tail, and force them to stare at it for 30 minutes before you start the game. muahahahah! ;D
(believe it or not, i dont torture japanese children on a regular basis...)
Sunday, July 01, 2007
narcoleptic
after 14 elementary school classes in only 3 day, 2 of which were at my biggest school, i am officially a broken person. friday evening, my friends and i went to the beer garden for some ram's meat (which was awesome as always), but after completely stuffing myself, i have become completely narcoleptic. between all those classes, very little sleep this past week, the cough that refuses to go away, and a ton of recently acquired mosquito bites (6 on friday night alone, 3 of which are on my ankle and all within 1 cm of one another), i've found myself unable to stay awake this weekend.
nothing really exciting has happened, except for finally deciding to entering the sea-kayak marathon in a few weeks. i also realized only last night that it's july now, which means very very soon, i'll finally be going home. it's weird to think that i've been away from home for so long. between my siblings and i, i feel like i'm the most attached to home, and yet i've spent the most time away. funny how things like that turn out.
for all the sleep i've done this weekend, i'm still incredibly drowsy. *sigh*. and can i just say, i *hate* mosquitos (fighting back the urge to scratch).
that's all for now. i'll write more when i'm not so, you know, narcoleptic.
nothing really exciting has happened, except for finally deciding to entering the sea-kayak marathon in a few weeks. i also realized only last night that it's july now, which means very very soon, i'll finally be going home. it's weird to think that i've been away from home for so long. between my siblings and i, i feel like i'm the most attached to home, and yet i've spent the most time away. funny how things like that turn out.
for all the sleep i've done this weekend, i'm still incredibly drowsy. *sigh*. and can i just say, i *hate* mosquitos (fighting back the urge to scratch).
that's all for now. i'll write more when i'm not so, you know, narcoleptic.
Monday, June 25, 2007
pictures from the last few months (whoops)
i know, i know... my pics are waaaaay overdue, but alas, here they are!
the past few months have included quite a few outdoor adventures. here's one of them. this is the view from the top of Mt. Joyama -- by far, my favorite mountaintop. it's got a great view over the rias and all the small islands in Mitsushima.
me at the top of Joyama
this is the top of Mt. Shiratake, by far the most difficult climb so far (for me at least). it's known for being a fertility mountain. there's a saying that whoever goes to the top will have a male child within a year. *looking around*. here's hoping that's false. also, the reason why it's a fertility mountain is because, well, look closely.... this view is the "female" part...
...and this is aaron on top of the "male" part. can you see it? =P
the view from the top is nothing but rolling hills in every direction... sooo cool.
at the top of shiratake
the waterfall at the base of shiratake. nice, eh?
so in attempt to keep ourselves unbored, rob and i got a 1000 piece puzzle back in october that we worked on verrry slowly at his place. basically, each time i went up north (which wasn't often), i'd stay the night and we'd work on it all weekend. finally, after about 6 months of turtle-pace assemblage and seemingly 500 pieces of cloudless sky, our masterpiece is finally complete. i can also honestly say that every Tsushima ALT contributed it to it too. thank you everyone!
after being fed up with replacing tortillas with naan bread, aaron and i finally decided to make flour tortillas. the last time we made them, we fed glorious mexican food to a party of 7. needless to say, it was amazing, as mexican food always is (especially when it's homemade ;D). check out the recipes here.
at the end of may, i went to kobe for the recontracting conference. but beforehand, i was sure to visit my host family in kyoto. first stop: the hospital to visit my host sister (sayoko) and her newborn baby. in this picture: me, Ayasa (in the red... Sayoko's oldest child. she was born while i lived with my host family), Yasuyo (married to my host parent's son), Hiroto? (Yasuyo's baby boy, kid #2), Sayoko, Tatsuki (Sayoko's baby boy, kid #2), and Atsushi (Sayoko's husband).
baby boy cousins: Hiroto (i think...) and Tatsuki. in this picture, they're 2 days and 3 days old, respectively.
proud mothers and their baby boys
me and ayasa... how she's grown since being a newborn baby... haha
the hospital visit was followed up by going back to the home i know so well. here: my host mom, their current student (Emily), and her brother (John, who happened to be in town the same day as me). needless to say, there was a big, delicious feast.
me, my host dad, my host parents' son (Junpei), and Haruto (Junpei and Yasuyo's oldest son). This was my first time meeting Haruto, as i only knew him as the baby that Yasuyo was pregnant with during my stay as a student.
the following day was none other than.... a Hanshin Tigers game!!! here's my main man, Akahoshi, in an action pose! this is by far, the closest i've ever been to him...
...although regrettably, my seat was much closer to Hiyama. they lost horribly, but it was nice to see a home game after following them so many nights senior year.... 4am trudging through a bio pset, and refreshing the website every 2 minutes to see how the live game was going.... never again.
akahoshi up at bat!!!!
after months of waiting, i FINALLY got to wear my Akahoshi jersey! and of course, aaron sported his Hanshin colors with a Kanemoto jersey.
during my last night in kobe, i got in contact with 2 of my favorite former SJECers. together with rob, we chatted and drank the night away. here: mutsumi, me, and miki (aka mikiti). both are SJEC alumni from my junior year.
and last but not least, my nephew, Alexander!!! granted, i have yet to meet him, but isn't he darling??
the past few months have included quite a few outdoor adventures. here's one of them. this is the view from the top of Mt. Joyama -- by far, my favorite mountaintop. it's got a great view over the rias and all the small islands in Mitsushima.
me at the top of Joyama
this is the top of Mt. Shiratake, by far the most difficult climb so far (for me at least). it's known for being a fertility mountain. there's a saying that whoever goes to the top will have a male child within a year. *looking around*. here's hoping that's false. also, the reason why it's a fertility mountain is because, well, look closely.... this view is the "female" part...
...and this is aaron on top of the "male" part. can you see it? =P
the view from the top is nothing but rolling hills in every direction... sooo cool.
at the top of shiratake
the waterfall at the base of shiratake. nice, eh?
so in attempt to keep ourselves unbored, rob and i got a 1000 piece puzzle back in october that we worked on verrry slowly at his place. basically, each time i went up north (which wasn't often), i'd stay the night and we'd work on it all weekend. finally, after about 6 months of turtle-pace assemblage and seemingly 500 pieces of cloudless sky, our masterpiece is finally complete. i can also honestly say that every Tsushima ALT contributed it to it too. thank you everyone!
after being fed up with replacing tortillas with naan bread, aaron and i finally decided to make flour tortillas. the last time we made them, we fed glorious mexican food to a party of 7. needless to say, it was amazing, as mexican food always is (especially when it's homemade ;D). check out the recipes here.
at the end of may, i went to kobe for the recontracting conference. but beforehand, i was sure to visit my host family in kyoto. first stop: the hospital to visit my host sister (sayoko) and her newborn baby. in this picture: me, Ayasa (in the red... Sayoko's oldest child. she was born while i lived with my host family), Yasuyo (married to my host parent's son), Hiroto? (Yasuyo's baby boy, kid #2), Sayoko, Tatsuki (Sayoko's baby boy, kid #2), and Atsushi (Sayoko's husband).
baby boy cousins: Hiroto (i think...) and Tatsuki. in this picture, they're 2 days and 3 days old, respectively.
proud mothers and their baby boys
me and ayasa... how she's grown since being a newborn baby... haha
the hospital visit was followed up by going back to the home i know so well. here: my host mom, their current student (Emily), and her brother (John, who happened to be in town the same day as me). needless to say, there was a big, delicious feast.
me, my host dad, my host parents' son (Junpei), and Haruto (Junpei and Yasuyo's oldest son). This was my first time meeting Haruto, as i only knew him as the baby that Yasuyo was pregnant with during my stay as a student.
the following day was none other than.... a Hanshin Tigers game!!! here's my main man, Akahoshi, in an action pose! this is by far, the closest i've ever been to him...
...although regrettably, my seat was much closer to Hiyama. they lost horribly, but it was nice to see a home game after following them so many nights senior year.... 4am trudging through a bio pset, and refreshing the website every 2 minutes to see how the live game was going.... never again.
akahoshi up at bat!!!!
after months of waiting, i FINALLY got to wear my Akahoshi jersey! and of course, aaron sported his Hanshin colors with a Kanemoto jersey.
during my last night in kobe, i got in contact with 2 of my favorite former SJECers. together with rob, we chatted and drank the night away. here: mutsumi, me, and miki (aka mikiti). both are SJEC alumni from my junior year.
and last but not least, my nephew, Alexander!!! granted, i have yet to meet him, but isn't he darling??those are all the pictures i've got for you guys for now... *phew*. i feel tons better now =)
Saturday, June 23, 2007
my apartment!
at long last.... pics of my new apartment! (please dont scream...) =P
first, just to demonstrate how much unbelievable cleaning i did when i first moved in, and particularly how much grease was layering over everything, please see Exhibit A:
Exhibit A: the before picture
Exhibit B: the after picture. That was about 30 minutes later of scrubbing.
The building. I'm on the 2nd floor, the one closest in this picture.
Can you tell how painful this hill is to walk up everyday? Needless to say, it's unpleasant.
The view from the stairs. Mine's the closest door.
The view from my balcony (eastward)
The view from my balcony (westward). That building you see is where i theoretically play badminton every week.
My showeroom before its much needed paint job. This is what i call "prison style."
Another wall of the showeroom before painting
During painting...
Only the ceiling left to go...
My now beautiful (and bright) showeroom!
What's this? you say. So Toyota-san, a godsend, was helping me the first 3 days i moved in to massively clean the place. in the process, though, she knocked off this clip that held up my drying rack. being the master ghetto-rigger i am, i taped 3 pairs of disposable chopsticks together then taped them to the wall. my shelf has been sturdy and happy ever since =)
the view from my front door
my kitchen
more kitchen
oh how glorious it is to have more than 2 shelves for all my dishes and cups!
kitchen \ bedroom
my cozy bedroom...
surprisingly, i still have roughly the same about of storage space as at my old place
the bedroom view from the kitchen
i dont know whether to shoot or hug the architect sometimes. i would definitely hug him for this: that white wall houses my dishes and cups on the kitchen side, and on the lower portion, is a shoe closet accessible from the front door side. brilliant, no?!
my freshly repainted showeroom =)
my bathtub and the annoyingly complicated highly explosive propane-powered shower. i literally laughed in the face of the guy who showed me how to use it. you would not believe how much effort it takes to get hot water.
my ghetto toilet... notice anything missing? and yes, it came like that.
this is why i would shoot the architect: notice the door jamb that runs along the leftside of the picture. that door is between the showeroom (duh) and the kitchen. then, point your attention to the direction the toiletroom door slides. yup. that's right. i have to enter my wet showeroom in order to access the toilet. it's not as annoying anymore, but definitely took some getting used to.
first, just to demonstrate how much unbelievable cleaning i did when i first moved in, and particularly how much grease was layering over everything, please see Exhibit A:
Exhibit A: the before picture
Exhibit B: the after picture. That was about 30 minutes later of scrubbing.
The building. I'm on the 2nd floor, the one closest in this picture.
Can you tell how painful this hill is to walk up everyday? Needless to say, it's unpleasant.
The view from the stairs. Mine's the closest door.
The view from my balcony (eastward)
The view from my balcony (westward). That building you see is where i theoretically play badminton every week.
My showeroom before its much needed paint job. This is what i call "prison style."
Another wall of the showeroom before painting
During painting...
Only the ceiling left to go...
My now beautiful (and bright) showeroom!
What's this? you say. So Toyota-san, a godsend, was helping me the first 3 days i moved in to massively clean the place. in the process, though, she knocked off this clip that held up my drying rack. being the master ghetto-rigger i am, i taped 3 pairs of disposable chopsticks together then taped them to the wall. my shelf has been sturdy and happy ever since =)
the view from my front door
my kitchen
more kitchen
oh how glorious it is to have more than 2 shelves for all my dishes and cups!
kitchen \ bedroom
my cozy bedroom...
surprisingly, i still have roughly the same about of storage space as at my old place
the bedroom view from the kitchen
i dont know whether to shoot or hug the architect sometimes. i would definitely hug him for this: that white wall houses my dishes and cups on the kitchen side, and on the lower portion, is a shoe closet accessible from the front door side. brilliant, no?!
my freshly repainted showeroom =)
my bathtub and the annoyingly complicated highly explosive propane-powered shower. i literally laughed in the face of the guy who showed me how to use it. you would not believe how much effort it takes to get hot water.
my ghetto toilet... notice anything missing? and yes, it came like that.
this is why i would shoot the architect: notice the door jamb that runs along the leftside of the picture. that door is between the showeroom (duh) and the kitchen. then, point your attention to the direction the toiletroom door slides. yup. that's right. i have to enter my wet showeroom in order to access the toilet. it's not as annoying anymore, but definitely took some getting used to.
as you can probably tell, this place isn't very big, but i have to admit, i like it a lot better than my old place. first of all, i can just roll and reach just about everything in my apartment. i have a ton of shelves to put dishes, which is excellent, and this place is just big enough to fit everything i have. there have been less bugs than my old places (although the mosquitoes still magically get inside, and the geckos run larger here). but at least i dont have to climb up and down stairs to pee or run upstairs to answer the phone. also, i can cook and watch tv at the same time, and even use the computer while still keeping an eye on the stove. and did i mention i went from having the most expensive rent of all us ALTs to having one of the cheapest? hell YAY-AH! =D
in other news, it's official: the new ALTs have been decided, and they'll be coming at the end of July/beginning of August. and guess what: i'm going to be the only girl next year! what a loss for this island. tsushima has apparently suffered some bad experiences with past females. they're under the impression that us females can't handle the extreme ruralness (which is crap), so they decided, let's go for guys. *shaking head*. i really hope everything turns out okay. luckily, i still have Sujin, the Korean CIR, who is living next door to me. at least i have one person i can girl talk with *phew*
i have more pics to upload, but i think i'm going to save that for tomorrow. hope you all got a good laugh out of my apartment pics! =)
in other news, it's official: the new ALTs have been decided, and they'll be coming at the end of July/beginning of August. and guess what: i'm going to be the only girl next year! what a loss for this island. tsushima has apparently suffered some bad experiences with past females. they're under the impression that us females can't handle the extreme ruralness (which is crap), so they decided, let's go for guys. *shaking head*. i really hope everything turns out okay. luckily, i still have Sujin, the Korean CIR, who is living next door to me. at least i have one person i can girl talk with *phew*
i have more pics to upload, but i think i'm going to save that for tomorrow. hope you all got a good laugh out of my apartment pics! =)
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