Let's Being Happy
If I don’t write about a day like today, then it will forget about it. These are the kinds of days I don’t want to forget about. Recently I feel my blog has been negative, which is strange because I am doing very well. I was really dreading this winter because last winter was so horrible. My body was physically ill nearly the entire season, I was cold and not dressed properly, it was my first real bout of culture shock. I cannot put my finger on exactly why things are so good this winter. Maybe because this winter has been milder than last. Maybe because I have learned how to dress more appropriately for the cold days (much love to my long johns), so even the cold days have not seems so bad. Maybe because I’ve been taking some new vitamins that one of my friends swears have changed her life. Maybe because the sunlight is lasting longer so I have started walking again. Maybe because I haven’t seen a cockroach or any mold in about six months. Maybe because my time here is ending soon so anything seems bearable in that light. Maybe because...
Today I woke up and felt it was going to be a good day. The weather looked crappy and the town was covered in fog due to the mountain air. But one of my favorite e.e. cummings poems (see last post) came to mind despite the weather, and I sensed the day would be good. I only had one class at a city school. When I got off the train at Shin-Shimonoseki I noticed an elementary school boy walking about 20 yards ahead of me. I thought it was strange to see him out of school at such an hour in the day. Then a teacher walked up the stairs and met him, leading him to a large group of children. I noticed that this teacher was Mr. Y (see May archives, post entitled “Please wear a ring”). I almost had a heart attack right then and there. Some of the students noticed me and remembered my name (I taught them last year). I waved to them. They tried to get his attention, but he was preoccupied. Finally he turned around as they were walking in a line with one of the stationmasters. Mr. Y was definitely as surprised to see me as I was to see him. I haven’t seen him since the summer when Laura and I did a workshop together for his school. He said the class was learning about “barrier free” things. Ah, the moment lasted no more than 15 seconds. But it sure was good to see him and I was smiling all the way to school.
On my walk to school I kept running into a bunch of elementary school kids who were out and about for who knows what reasons. They all said “hello” in a non-annoying way. Perhaps they recognized me, too, who knows. But they were not freaked out or overly giggly, which is always a good feeling.
Today’s school was definitely not my favorite school, but it’s not the worst, either. It was much worse last year, and this year I’ve had a few good classes there. On the surface today’s lesson went very well. Any observer would have considered it a success. In my mind, though, I felt it was pretty crap. Today’s teacher and I work pretty well together. She is one of the best English teachers I work with and actually challenges her students. She does not, however, explain things to me very well before hand (sometimes never before hand), and I am stuck, standing there in the moment trying to guess/read her mind as to what I should be doing. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don’t. I hate this feeling, because inevitably I feel badly about my performance afterwards. Granted, things would go much better if she could explain things she wants me to do before hand. But this is the way it is; it has been this way for 1.5 years. It is not going to change now. She has been at this school awhile and is very unhappy there. I hope for her case she gets transferred and starts to like teaching again. The good thing about this part of the days was, 1.) I only had one class; 2.) students didn’t misbehave in the class.
On my way back to Shin-Shimo I popped into 7-11 for some lunch and had exactly 15 minutes to eat it at the train station. I didn’t sit down for 5 seconds when an older man came running in and said in English, “Hello. Welcome to Japan.” Two minutes later he came back through and said, “That looks delicious. Bye!” I got a little laugh out of it. A minute later he came back to where I was and sat down, asking (in English) where I live, what I am doing in Japan, the usual. Turns out he lives in Kikugawa, too. Then he ran off because he said he had to work. I then realized he was a taxi driver. I was nearly finished when he came back again just to give me some rice crackers and say goodbye again. What a lovely man.
When I got off the train at Ozuki I ran into one of my favorite students from last year’s Kikugawa 3rd graders. She is in high school now and I rarely see her. We have exchanged only a few keitai messages. I thought of her last week on Valentine’s Day. On Valentine’s Day last year, she secretly gave me a little cake that she had made for me. She is so sweet. I caught her totally off guard today and her face turned bright red, but she was smiley we had a small chat. It was very good seeing her.
I actually got a seat on the bus today. Usually the 1:40 bus is jam packed with people going to Nagato-shi, and I end up standing for the ride. The old ladies crack me up, practically fighting each other to see who can get on the bus first and grab a seat. But today we all got seats. One of the old ladies turned around in her seat and started talking to me. I didn’t understand her Japanese at first, and then she said she was from Kansai area. Clearly she was speaking in a different dialect, and when I said I didn’t understand her, she kindly started speaking differently. Of course she asked me the usual questions. And she asked what my impressions about Japan and what I thought the Japanese "image" was before I came to Japan. First time I have gotten that question. Then she started rambling on, saying how she can’t speak English at all and it must be difficult for me to live in the inaka, and it’s great I am here, and she was so happy to be talking to me. I was all smiley again. Another lovely conversation with a person who was delighted by my presence (as opposed to scared, freaked out, upset, nervous, etc.) And the sun is shining and it’s Friday. How could the day get any better??
So I will post photos of Sapporo soon. And I still haven’t posted photos of Nikko from way back in January after the PA Training. Have a lovely weekend!
Today I woke up and felt it was going to be a good day. The weather looked crappy and the town was covered in fog due to the mountain air. But one of my favorite e.e. cummings poems (see last post) came to mind despite the weather, and I sensed the day would be good. I only had one class at a city school. When I got off the train at Shin-Shimonoseki I noticed an elementary school boy walking about 20 yards ahead of me. I thought it was strange to see him out of school at such an hour in the day. Then a teacher walked up the stairs and met him, leading him to a large group of children. I noticed that this teacher was Mr. Y (see May archives, post entitled “Please wear a ring”). I almost had a heart attack right then and there. Some of the students noticed me and remembered my name (I taught them last year). I waved to them. They tried to get his attention, but he was preoccupied. Finally he turned around as they were walking in a line with one of the stationmasters. Mr. Y was definitely as surprised to see me as I was to see him. I haven’t seen him since the summer when Laura and I did a workshop together for his school. He said the class was learning about “barrier free” things. Ah, the moment lasted no more than 15 seconds. But it sure was good to see him and I was smiling all the way to school.
On my walk to school I kept running into a bunch of elementary school kids who were out and about for who knows what reasons. They all said “hello” in a non-annoying way. Perhaps they recognized me, too, who knows. But they were not freaked out or overly giggly, which is always a good feeling.
Today’s school was definitely not my favorite school, but it’s not the worst, either. It was much worse last year, and this year I’ve had a few good classes there. On the surface today’s lesson went very well. Any observer would have considered it a success. In my mind, though, I felt it was pretty crap. Today’s teacher and I work pretty well together. She is one of the best English teachers I work with and actually challenges her students. She does not, however, explain things to me very well before hand (sometimes never before hand), and I am stuck, standing there in the moment trying to guess/read her mind as to what I should be doing. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don’t. I hate this feeling, because inevitably I feel badly about my performance afterwards. Granted, things would go much better if she could explain things she wants me to do before hand. But this is the way it is; it has been this way for 1.5 years. It is not going to change now. She has been at this school awhile and is very unhappy there. I hope for her case she gets transferred and starts to like teaching again. The good thing about this part of the days was, 1.) I only had one class; 2.) students didn’t misbehave in the class.
On my way back to Shin-Shimo I popped into 7-11 for some lunch and had exactly 15 minutes to eat it at the train station. I didn’t sit down for 5 seconds when an older man came running in and said in English, “Hello. Welcome to Japan.” Two minutes later he came back through and said, “That looks delicious. Bye!” I got a little laugh out of it. A minute later he came back to where I was and sat down, asking (in English) where I live, what I am doing in Japan, the usual. Turns out he lives in Kikugawa, too. Then he ran off because he said he had to work. I then realized he was a taxi driver. I was nearly finished when he came back again just to give me some rice crackers and say goodbye again. What a lovely man.
When I got off the train at Ozuki I ran into one of my favorite students from last year’s Kikugawa 3rd graders. She is in high school now and I rarely see her. We have exchanged only a few keitai messages. I thought of her last week on Valentine’s Day. On Valentine’s Day last year, she secretly gave me a little cake that she had made for me. She is so sweet. I caught her totally off guard today and her face turned bright red, but she was smiley we had a small chat. It was very good seeing her.
I actually got a seat on the bus today. Usually the 1:40 bus is jam packed with people going to Nagato-shi, and I end up standing for the ride. The old ladies crack me up, practically fighting each other to see who can get on the bus first and grab a seat. But today we all got seats. One of the old ladies turned around in her seat and started talking to me. I didn’t understand her Japanese at first, and then she said she was from Kansai area. Clearly she was speaking in a different dialect, and when I said I didn’t understand her, she kindly started speaking differently. Of course she asked me the usual questions. And she asked what my impressions about Japan and what I thought the Japanese "image" was before I came to Japan. First time I have gotten that question. Then she started rambling on, saying how she can’t speak English at all and it must be difficult for me to live in the inaka, and it’s great I am here, and she was so happy to be talking to me. I was all smiley again. Another lovely conversation with a person who was delighted by my presence (as opposed to scared, freaked out, upset, nervous, etc.) And the sun is shining and it’s Friday. How could the day get any better??
So I will post photos of Sapporo soon. And I still haven’t posted photos of Nikko from way back in January after the PA Training. Have a lovely weekend!
posted by Ang at 10:47 PM
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