Well it's ben a while since I've posted (again). The new school has me worn out. I'm teaching way more at this school than I was at the last one.
I have been to my 2 new elementary schools, too. I have introduced myself so many times it's ridiculous. I should change that-introducing myself is not what gets to me, it's the innane questions that follow it. Not just from the students. Usually the worst offenders are the teachers. They just want to know everything about me because I'm a foreigner, not because they are interested in me. And one lovely teacher decided to put me in a seat in front of everyone while we ate lunch so that all of the students could ask me questions. Here are some of the questions I got last week (from elementary students) How much do you weigh? Yah, like I'd ever answer that, shithead. Do you wear contacts? Me -??? What's your husband's name? Here's where I started to get pissy. First, do the students need to know my husband's name? No. Do they know any of the other teachers' spouses' names? I seriously doubt it. So why does their teacher think that it's okay to have them ask whatever they want?! She didn't ask me if it was okay to ask questions-she just told me. And I'm all for answering questions about my country and culture and the differences, but everyone feels like it's a freee for all to find out everything there is to know about me.
Questions from my junior high school students (who have to ask in English):
How old are you and I politely explain that in Canada that is a rude question and students most definately do NOT ask their teachers that.
What sports do you like? OMG, so many students asked me that question!
Do you have a boyfriend? i smiled innocently and said, "No." (Why do I have a Japanese surname kids???) Then the best one, baby?
Then last week, one of the teachers at the junior high school said, "Oh, can you eat rice?" Uh, WTF? Do you think that Japan is the only country in the world that eats rice. What kind of drugs are you on?!! And then today she asks me," So which of your parents is Japanese, your mother or father?" To which I replied, "Hunh?" to see if she had actually said that. Yup, she did. I explained that I got the name from my husband and she expressed surprise that I as married (even though I had told her that before!)
So what I want to know is, if she thinks I'm half Japanese, why does she ask me stupid things like DO YOU EAT RICE?!
Ok I seem to be ranting again and that was totally not my intention (this time). Seeing as I have to be up for work in less than five hours I had better get myself off to bed. Good night!
Friday, April 28, 2006
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Negative feelings so far
I'm talking about the new school I'm at. Last week we had an assembly for something-I'm not exactly sure, but I think it was to introduce the new grade 7 students to life in Junior high (they no longer have the same teacher every day, they are learning new subjects like English etc). Before the assembly started all of the grade 8 and 9 students were in the gym, waiting for the grade 7s to come in. All of the kids were sitting on the floor, which is usual (gym floor is clean, only gym shoes worn in the gym) All of the kids HAVE to sit in a special way -(taikuzuwari taiku-gym zuwari/suwari-sitting) -legs together, feet on the floor, knees bent. While they were waiting, all of their kids had their heads down. I've never seen this before, so I ask the English teacher why. "Oh," he says, "they are meditating." I'm thinking, ummm, okaaay? Maybe he's joking? But I looked it up in the dictionary and sure enough, they were meditating! WTF is a 13 year old kid going to meditate about. I appreciate that with over 500 students in the same place, there has to be a way to keep them quiet, but I felt like this was a little too much. Some of the teachers were walking around, checking that the kids had their heads down, even if they were just sitting there quietly. Anyway.
Then there's this female teacher who is famous for hating foreigners. Not sure why she hates us, we're not Japanese or something like that. I had to use the uh, facilities and she was already in there. She looks at me and doesn't say anything. (Usual with her.) Then she walks out and turns off the light, stupid cow. I was furious but I decided to just leave it be as I'm so not a stupid game-playing type of person. I just hope that she doesn't pass her attitude on to the kids. I'm Japanese, this is Japan, I don't need English, you should speak Japanese. I have heard this attitude from students and even teachers!
Oh well, on a more positive note there are a couple of teachers that try and speak English to me (other than the English teachers). This is a first.
It's also waaay busier than my last school-lots more classes for me to go to (haven't decided if that's good or bad yet!)
Have a good weekend, I'm going to visit my friend in Tokyo. Looking forward to it, too.
Then there's this female teacher who is famous for hating foreigners. Not sure why she hates us, we're not Japanese or something like that. I had to use the uh, facilities and she was already in there. She looks at me and doesn't say anything. (Usual with her.) Then she walks out and turns off the light, stupid cow. I was furious but I decided to just leave it be as I'm so not a stupid game-playing type of person. I just hope that she doesn't pass her attitude on to the kids. I'm Japanese, this is Japan, I don't need English, you should speak Japanese. I have heard this attitude from students and even teachers!
Oh well, on a more positive note there are a couple of teachers that try and speak English to me (other than the English teachers). This is a first.
It's also waaay busier than my last school-lots more classes for me to go to (haven't decided if that's good or bad yet!)
Have a good weekend, I'm going to visit my friend in Tokyo. Looking forward to it, too.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
spring vacation recap in pix
Well, I don't have much to say for now as I'm still sussing out the new school. Can't really say what it's going to be like yet, haven't taught any classes or been around the kids much yet so who knows. So instead of words here are pix of some of the things I did for spring vacation.
slimybreakfast
My slimy breakfast-raw egg and soy sauce on my rice, natto, slimy seaweed, and miso soup.
natto
fermented soybeans-they smell really bad! (Think dirty socks)I can eat them now. Put sauce in and stir alot.
slimygreen
Just so you know I'm getting used to the diet here-Some sort of slimy seaweed I had for breakfast.
takoyaki
He likes takoyaki! (His face was covered in sauce that we couldn't get off until we got home and had some water to help take it off!)
cherryblossom1
Beautiful weather, cherry blossoms out, perfect for picnicing so we had a little picnic of takoyaki (deep fried octopus balls) and went back for a longer time the following week.
eastereggs
A little early, I know, but we had our Easter party with my students. This is mine and Hiroki's
head
Needed to put something on our heads as we were preparing food. (Or at least some of us were - not me!)
sushicake2
We went to a Girl Scout meeting to talk about Canada and hang out with some of the kids. They made this for us. (And in the end gave me $30 for going-thanks!)
Monday, April 03, 2006
sadboy
One more just cause I like this pic-He got one Thomas toy from the machine but his mean Mommy wouldn't let him get another one.
headprotector
Hiroki's head protector for daycare. In the event of an earthquake, the kids cover their heads with these. Supposed to be fire proof. I have to sew the velcro pieces on by hand. (The last time I sewed I was in jr hi school!) 2 down, 6 to go!
a night on the town...
OK, not really but did I get your attention? I went to my new school for the first time today. We had a 3 hour staff meeting in the morning. And was it ever boring. It was, of course, in Japanese and alot of it had to do with "Please look at such and such paper. Blah blah blah." It wouldn't have been so difficult if they were just a few papers to refer to, but when I got to school this morning, they were sooo many papers on my desk! I know that I'm prone to exaggerate, but this is no exaggeration, there was a stack of about 3 cms of paper. I tried to keep up bt there was just no way. I was going to try and write a letter or something but my desk is (gulp!) right beside the principal's. No way...And 3 of us had to introduce ourselves (the other new teachers had already done so) so up in front of everyone and say something in Japanese. (The last speech in front of the students was in English, so that was better. I always only speak English to the school students) Then tonight we went out together. THere are 39 staff at this school, as opposed to 24 at the last one. I think maybe 2 or 3 of them introduced themselves to me. I have no idea how I'm going to learn other teachers' names.
Anyway, I always try to go out for the first party of the year, so the teachers will (not be afaid?)try and talk to me a little more. Everyone pays about $55 and drinks and eats themselves silly. Especially the drink part. Almost everyone gets red-faced so quickly (apparently due to a lack of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol read people get drunk pretty fast). Of course, all of the newcomers had to do an obligatory speech again. (Boy, I'm getting good at this NOT-I was all shaky again:P)
One more speech this week, in front of the students (yes! in English!) so maybe about 500 of them. I have to get used to the size of this school!
My spring break will be over soon. I feel like I didn't holiday much. I was teaching a lot (or at least it felt like it) I also went to yoga as much as I could. I'm feeling hefty again. My yoga teacher is pretty nice. She came over last week and brought a homemade Maple Chiffon cake which was sooooo light!! And tasty (but probably not helping with the feeling hefty part of my life) She was worried about me feeling bothered by all of the "Ooh, you're a foreigner...Where are you from? Can you eat fish?" type of questions I've been getting because I've been going on so many different days. I thought that was very nice of her to notice.
Also, something I've been doing on my break-sewing. Yes, you read that correctly. S-E-W-I-N-G! The last time I sewed was probably when I was a junior high school student. Now I'm not a very crafty (but I totally admire people who are) so needless to say I'm not doing this for fun. I had to sew some stuff to get Hiroki ready for daycare. The daycare sends out information of all the things the kids need every year and this year he needed a couple of bags and an head protector (in case of an earthquake/fire). There are diagrams and dimensions, so we are meant to make them. It amazes me that women do this. I can't imagine it happening in Canada (although what do I know? maybe everybody does it in Canada, too) The fact that the kids are in daycare means that the mothers are working (otherwise they can't get into daycare here) Thankfully, last year Atsu's mom sewed a bag for Hiroki's extra clothes, and his aunt sewed a couple of bags out of leftover Thomas material. Very helpful!!! But I had to do the *$&%in head protector thingy. We bought the thing and then velcro had to be sewn on to it to attach a cover. (I will attach pictures-I have to do it separately as I'm not very techno-savvy, especially at night!) Wouldn't you know that the head thingy was thick and hard to sew.
Ok, I think I'm going to sign off and post those pics!
Anyway, I always try to go out for the first party of the year, so the teachers will (not be afaid?)try and talk to me a little more. Everyone pays about $55 and drinks and eats themselves silly. Especially the drink part. Almost everyone gets red-faced so quickly (apparently due to a lack of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol read people get drunk pretty fast). Of course, all of the newcomers had to do an obligatory speech again. (Boy, I'm getting good at this NOT-I was all shaky again:P)
One more speech this week, in front of the students (yes! in English!) so maybe about 500 of them. I have to get used to the size of this school!
My spring break will be over soon. I feel like I didn't holiday much. I was teaching a lot (or at least it felt like it) I also went to yoga as much as I could. I'm feeling hefty again. My yoga teacher is pretty nice. She came over last week and brought a homemade Maple Chiffon cake which was sooooo light!! And tasty (but probably not helping with the feeling hefty part of my life) She was worried about me feeling bothered by all of the "Ooh, you're a foreigner...Where are you from? Can you eat fish?" type of questions I've been getting because I've been going on so many different days. I thought that was very nice of her to notice.
Also, something I've been doing on my break-sewing. Yes, you read that correctly. S-E-W-I-N-G! The last time I sewed was probably when I was a junior high school student. Now I'm not a very crafty (but I totally admire people who are) so needless to say I'm not doing this for fun. I had to sew some stuff to get Hiroki ready for daycare. The daycare sends out information of all the things the kids need every year and this year he needed a couple of bags and an head protector (in case of an earthquake/fire). There are diagrams and dimensions, so we are meant to make them. It amazes me that women do this. I can't imagine it happening in Canada (although what do I know? maybe everybody does it in Canada, too) The fact that the kids are in daycare means that the mothers are working (otherwise they can't get into daycare here) Thankfully, last year Atsu's mom sewed a bag for Hiroki's extra clothes, and his aunt sewed a couple of bags out of leftover Thomas material. Very helpful!!! But I had to do the *$&%in head protector thingy. We bought the thing and then velcro had to be sewn on to it to attach a cover. (I will attach pictures-I have to do it separately as I'm not very techno-savvy, especially at night!) Wouldn't you know that the head thingy was thick and hard to sew.
Ok, I think I'm going to sign off and post those pics!
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