Hi Sheri, I finally had a chance to sit down and come up with a list. It's not as good as yours, but it's late... Please feel free to delete this post as I'm not sure if you wanted it as a comment or as a post.
Sheri's request - C is for Caro!
In no particular order, my top ten "C"s for the evening...
1. Crafts - I love cross stitching and making cards. Even though I'm not that great, it makes me feel a bit creative and lets me use a different side of my brain. I'm hoping by the time Ella needs Halloween costumes, I'll be up to the challenge!!
2. Cute - this word is the first one which comes to mind when I see my daughter. She is my little cherub and it's hard to keep my eyes and camera off of her! She is so amazing - I find everything about her cute. Can you believe that I actually heard myself calling my husband over to admire her cute little turd one day? Hmmm, maybe I need to get out in public more...
3. Cat - this one's easy - our crazy cat is a definite member of our household. He's not sweet like Lizzie, but he sure has a great deal of character!
4. Comments - I love looking on Miss Ella's blog and finding a comment from someone. It lets me know that people are enjoying the pictures etc. I had to also install a counter to make sure I wasn't just posting for my own enjoyment!
5. Computer - without this invention, I probably would have lost track of Sheri and Danielle years ago. Both are army brats who were in my life physically for a short time long ago, but have been able to remain close even across oceans and countries. It's hard to believe that Sheri left Calgary in 1986 I believe. That's 20 years ago. Holy crap!!! We're old!!!
6. Cheerful - I try as hard as I can to be this way because I hope that if I'm pleasant to someone it might make their day a little less nasty. Although, my husband may disagree that I'm cheerful... Hmmm, he gets me at home... I try though!!!
7. Cherish - I don't think I knew what this word really meant until I had my daughter. It's hard to believe how much joy she has brought to me, my David, my parents and friends. I cherish all my moments with her. I have been so lucky to have this first year of her life away from work.
8. Cuddles - I love when my little girl snuggles up and cuddles with me when she goes for a little nap. Can't wait until she's older and we can cuddle together on the couch and watch some silly cartoons.
9. Cool sheets - mmm - it's been a hot summer so far in Calgary. Not anywhere near as hot in Japan I'm sure, but it's been fairly warm here. We decided to bite the bullet this year and get Central Air Conditioning. I can't believe how much we love it. Instead of our bedroom being 29 degrees Celsius when we go to bed, it's a lovely cool 22... Don't worry, we got the environmentally friendly A/C. I know, it's still evil, but at least we don't go all batty because we haven't had a decent sleep in weeks! Besides, I have a hybrid car - that has to count for something right?
10. Calm - Everytime I turn on the news, I am reminded how lucky I am to live in a country like Canada in Calgary in a quiet suburb at the top of a cul-de-sac. How nice it is to fall asleep to the sound of frogs ribbitting at night and then waking up to the sound of birds in the morning. I doubt I would have a beautiful list like this to share if I lived in a different part of the world.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Monday, July 24, 2006
hee hee
I am at work again, killing time until I can go home…Good attitude, eh? But I am very happy that my shuffle can be used as a memory stick and therefore I can do this at work-doing what I want to do while looking busy-bonus!
There are no students at the school today, and I think tomorrow, too, but summer vacation doesn’t start until Wednesday, so here I am. I am feeling a little sick to my stomach as I had a medical check up today and therefore couldn’t eat this morning. I guess missing breakfast threw me off or something. All of the city employees can get a medical check this week. What you get checked depends on your age-the younger you are, the less you get checked. I just had to give a urine sample, got my blood pressure measured, some sort of heart check, and a blood test. As you get older, you also get to drink barium and have some sort of stomach check (as well as give a stool sample), and I think there’s a hearing test, too.
The urine sample here is different in that you have to do it at home and bring it with you, so you can imagine the cup thing doesn’t work well. But they give you a cup and a little bottle, so you pee in the cup and then squeeze the bottle to get it filled up. (Too much information?)
The heart check was a totally new experience for me when I started working here (this was my third one). First, the women get checked in a separate room than the men. Women go in this little room and have to take off pantyhose or long socks if they are wearing them. I don’t know if you’re supposed to take off your bra or not, the nurse type of person said if you can just lift it out of the way, it’s not a problem. Then, when it’s your turn, you go behind the partition and they hook up your ankles and wrists to some sort of machine, and then put some type of suction cup type things around your heart. I think I was lying there for about a minute? Easy.
The blood test is the usual. Every year I get the results back and it says that I don’t have enough neutral fat in my blood? In my body? I haven’t figured out what exactly that means. Apparently it comes from not eating enough meat or something like that. I’m wondering if it will be different this year as this is the first year that I have had it since I stopped breastfeeding. (Again, too much info?) No idea if there is a correlation or not. I guess I will find out.
Anyway, enough for now, I guess. I need something to write about tomorrow!
There are no students at the school today, and I think tomorrow, too, but summer vacation doesn’t start until Wednesday, so here I am. I am feeling a little sick to my stomach as I had a medical check up today and therefore couldn’t eat this morning. I guess missing breakfast threw me off or something. All of the city employees can get a medical check this week. What you get checked depends on your age-the younger you are, the less you get checked. I just had to give a urine sample, got my blood pressure measured, some sort of heart check, and a blood test. As you get older, you also get to drink barium and have some sort of stomach check (as well as give a stool sample), and I think there’s a hearing test, too.
The urine sample here is different in that you have to do it at home and bring it with you, so you can imagine the cup thing doesn’t work well. But they give you a cup and a little bottle, so you pee in the cup and then squeeze the bottle to get it filled up. (Too much information?)
The heart check was a totally new experience for me when I started working here (this was my third one). First, the women get checked in a separate room than the men. Women go in this little room and have to take off pantyhose or long socks if they are wearing them. I don’t know if you’re supposed to take off your bra or not, the nurse type of person said if you can just lift it out of the way, it’s not a problem. Then, when it’s your turn, you go behind the partition and they hook up your ankles and wrists to some sort of machine, and then put some type of suction cup type things around your heart. I think I was lying there for about a minute? Easy.
The blood test is the usual. Every year I get the results back and it says that I don’t have enough neutral fat in my blood? In my body? I haven’t figured out what exactly that means. Apparently it comes from not eating enough meat or something like that. I’m wondering if it will be different this year as this is the first year that I have had it since I stopped breastfeeding. (Again, too much info?) No idea if there is a correlation or not. I guess I will find out.
Anyway, enough for now, I guess. I need something to write about tomorrow!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
tagged
Well, I’ve been meaning to write this for a while. I‘m at school, using the principal’s computer. I am going to (hopefully-I haven’t tried yet) use my i-pod shuffle as a memory type of device to save this and take it home. {I just tried saving it, I think it works!}
Well, I was tagged quite a while ago by Jazz) to come up with 10 words starting with the letter S, here’s my list.
1)My sweet son and his smile – can make my day so much nicer and will instantly put me in a good mood.
2) Songs –good thing I like music so much because I constantly have songs going through my head, sometimes simultaneously {like last week- Patsy Cline’s I Fall to Pieces and Evanescance’s (sp?) Bring Me to Life} Also, because whatever songs we sing in English class tend to stick, lots of 70s songs lately- Joy to the World (3Dog Night), Saturday Night (Bay City Rollers), Sky High (Jigsaw), and We are the Champions (Queen). It’s umm interesting.
3) Stories-what would life be without books and the stories in them? Also, I think the fact that everyone has a story is interesting.
4) Summer days and the cold food we get to eat because it’s too hot to cook-potato salad, devil’s eggs, cold noodles, tofu, fresh veggies, mmmmmm
5) Simple-as in a simple life, I enjoy simple things right now-going to the library, listening to music, using the computer…
6）Spelling and words-I have always been interested in words and their origins, and I’m getting more interested in word games and puzzles (to keep up my English!). Also, spelling mistakes here are one of my little amusements (“beerz”, the sign on the door that says “close”, and let’s not forget “flesh fruit”- more here)
7) Sleep – because everything looks better in the morning, especially after a good, long sleeep
8) Sentiment- I find myself more and more feeling nostalgic about things I would never have expected to feel nostalgic about-things from Canada as well as things in Japan. Also sentimental movies-I cry now (never did before)
9)Satisifaction-because who doesn’t like to feel satisfied?
10) Serendipity-can’t say that I have had many serendipitous things happen in my life but I like the idea as well as the sound of the word
I want to tag Caro and Lori. C for Caro, L for Lori. Wanna play?
Well, I was tagged quite a while ago by Jazz) to come up with 10 words starting with the letter S, here’s my list.
1)My sweet son and his smile – can make my day so much nicer and will instantly put me in a good mood.
2) Songs –good thing I like music so much because I constantly have songs going through my head, sometimes simultaneously {like last week- Patsy Cline’s I Fall to Pieces and Evanescance’s (sp?) Bring Me to Life} Also, because whatever songs we sing in English class tend to stick, lots of 70s songs lately- Joy to the World (3Dog Night), Saturday Night (Bay City Rollers), Sky High (Jigsaw), and We are the Champions (Queen). It’s umm interesting.
3) Stories-what would life be without books and the stories in them? Also, I think the fact that everyone has a story is interesting.
4) Summer days and the cold food we get to eat because it’s too hot to cook-potato salad, devil’s eggs, cold noodles, tofu, fresh veggies, mmmmmm
5) Simple-as in a simple life, I enjoy simple things right now-going to the library, listening to music, using the computer…
6）Spelling and words-I have always been interested in words and their origins, and I’m getting more interested in word games and puzzles (to keep up my English!). Also, spelling mistakes here are one of my little amusements (“beerz”, the sign on the door that says “close”, and let’s not forget “flesh fruit”- more here)
7) Sleep – because everything looks better in the morning, especially after a good, long sleeep
8) Sentiment- I find myself more and more feeling nostalgic about things I would never have expected to feel nostalgic about-things from Canada as well as things in Japan. Also sentimental movies-I cry now (never did before)
9)Satisifaction-because who doesn’t like to feel satisfied?
10) Serendipity-can’t say that I have had many serendipitous things happen in my life but I like the idea as well as the sound of the word
I want to tag Caro and Lori. C for Caro, L for Lori. Wanna play?
Monday, July 17, 2006
hold on
I'll be posting soon-waiting for summer vacation to start (this is the last week of school)
Write more soon
Write more soon
Friday, July 07, 2006
Thursday, July 06, 2006
I'm on a roll
So a little while ago hubby came home with a super-duper do-all scale. I have been less than eager to use the thing. Besides not knowing how to, I really didn’t want to see all of those stats. Last week I took the big step and tried it. The next day I went out for a walk in the morning. Yes, I was most unhappy with those numbers on the scale. But I’m going to try and get those numbers down. I have been out walking/jogging 3 times so far and plan to go out a couple more times this week. I don’t do anything big but even a little bit helps, I guess.
The biggest problem is finding the time to do it. I get up a little before 5am so I can go out walking/ jogging. That dips into my computer time. I already feel like I don’t have enough time to do my own stuff, so I’m not pleased by that but I do need to exercise. I want to get a memory stick or something so I can write my blog at work and then just bring it back home and send it off.
Nuff said.
The biggest problem is finding the time to do it. I get up a little before 5am so I can go out walking/ jogging. That dips into my computer time. I already feel like I don’t have enough time to do my own stuff, so I’m not pleased by that but I do need to exercise. I want to get a memory stick or something so I can write my blog at work and then just bring it back home and send it off.
Nuff said.
Conversation Overheard one night last week...
Or would have been if these guys could talk…
"I've gotta find a way to get outta here," she said.
"Mmm, okay, whatever," he said.
So my son is keeping 2 rhinocerous beetles as pets. He got them from his cousin, and he likes having them primarily because he gets to feed them their special jelly (at least that’s what I think)
Anyway, I actually thought we just got one, then last week late on Saturday night hubby heard a noise as he was the only one up late at night (watching World Cup). He said that it sounded like an insect walking around (they are BIG). The next day he was searching the area for an insect. I saw the one insect in the cage so I didn’t think much of it. Then later my MIL said that the female beetle had disappeared. I was thinking ‘the female’? We had more than one? Then I was thinking about how smart that beetle was to wait until the dead of night, make her plans to escape, and the get away! Yea! You go girl! I was so impressed by her escape, really I thought about how clever she was. (All along thinking I hope I don’t step on her~big crunch I would guess!)
So I was pretty impressed all day Sunday, thinking she crawled out of her cage, waited for her chance and got out the door when one of us opened the door. (The cage was in the genkan, or the area near the door.)
This feeling lasted until Sunday night when hubby found her, crawling up my son’s bicycle tire (also kept in the genkan).
I was so disappointed. It’s a little weird, I guess. I wasn’t too happy about keeping 2 big bugs in a small cage (even tho they are bugs I still feel sorry for them) but my MIL went out and bought a bigger cage and jelly to feed them. They have a little more space now and at least there’s two of them, so I feel a little better.
"I've gotta find a way to get outta here," she said.
"Mmm, okay, whatever," he said.
So my son is keeping 2 rhinocerous beetles as pets. He got them from his cousin, and he likes having them primarily because he gets to feed them their special jelly (at least that’s what I think)
Anyway, I actually thought we just got one, then last week late on Saturday night hubby heard a noise as he was the only one up late at night (watching World Cup). He said that it sounded like an insect walking around (they are BIG). The next day he was searching the area for an insect. I saw the one insect in the cage so I didn’t think much of it. Then later my MIL said that the female beetle had disappeared. I was thinking ‘the female’? We had more than one? Then I was thinking about how smart that beetle was to wait until the dead of night, make her plans to escape, and the get away! Yea! You go girl! I was so impressed by her escape, really I thought about how clever she was. (All along thinking I hope I don’t step on her~big crunch I would guess!)
So I was pretty impressed all day Sunday, thinking she crawled out of her cage, waited for her chance and got out the door when one of us opened the door. (The cage was in the genkan, or the area near the door.)
This feeling lasted until Sunday night when hubby found her, crawling up my son’s bicycle tire (also kept in the genkan).
I was so disappointed. It’s a little weird, I guess. I wasn’t too happy about keeping 2 big bugs in a small cage (even tho they are bugs I still feel sorry for them) but my MIL went out and bought a bigger cage and jelly to feed them. They have a little more space now and at least there’s two of them, so I feel a little better.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
heree comes the rain again
Well, this year the rainy season hasn't been sooo bad (so far knock on wood) but it's definately been cloudy or rainy most days. The other day, when it was sunny was a reminder of summer weather and it's going to be soooo hot! I'm already sleeping in my shorts and t-shirt type of pyjamas, with the windows wide open and barely any blanket. Last night when I was talking to 2 of my (older) women students they told me that they are cold at night without a long sleeved shirt. Hmmm. I am always cold in the winter and always too hot in the summer. They don't know what to make of me!
One by product of the rain is these beautiful hydrangea. They have been popping up for the last 3 weeks or so. I love the ones that are this bluey purpley colour. I have seen others that are reddish pink or white. Got to cut this short for now.
And oh yeah HAPPY CANADA DAY!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Saturday, June 24, 2006
sleeping
Well, another week of sleeping problems-just getting to sleep on little Mr. H's part. At least that's one good thing-there have been times of problems getting to sleep and staying asleep. And that's when I think he's trying to kill me...
So I got the no cry sleep solution for toddlers and preschoolers earlier this week (I love amazon!) I like alot of what I've read so far (not much yet) but I'm still having a problem with the whole timing thing. The author says that he should be getting 11 hours of sleep a night. He is so not, which apparently goes a long way in explaining his temper tantrums and other similar behaviours. But according to the author, I should be getting him ready for bed an hour before the 11 hours of sleep. So I wake him up at 6:30, that means that I have to have him sleeping at 7:30. That means that I have to start putting him to bed at 6:30. Hmmmm. Not home yet/just getting home @ 6:30. There's also the bedtime snack before bed-so by my calculations-he gets home at about 5:00ish, eats dinner, takes a bath, eats a bedtime snack, I come home, put him to bed... it's too busy, I think. But I'm goingwh to read the book and see what else I can do.
Last week was busy, and a bit disturbing. One of the other ALTs was telling us horror stories of the grade 8 students at his school. They are doing things like hitting/fighting with each other and teachers! and it seems like there's nothin the school can do about it, which they have figured out. I'm pretty sure that if stuff like this happened in Canada, the police would be called. And then at my school, one of the grade 7 students went missing for a day and her teachere was concerned because there was a high chance that she was with her 18 yr old boyfriend(!). The next time I saw her at school, she had bruises all over her arms. where her father had punched her (mom is out of the picture). Now I know that the police would be called in Canada for child abuse. I also think that child services here wouldn't do much about beating-they have a good history of giving kids back to the people who beat them. Sad.
More murders in the news lately-kids killing their parents. More reason not watch tv (not that I watch that much)
Should go 4 now. xxoo
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
whoa, shock
I know, 2 posts within days of each other. I'd like to be able to start doing this on a regular basis but not sure if I can. Hiroki is at daycare now and I'll be leaving soon to go and get him. This is my schedule for the week-yesterday I went to the big city of Shizuoka (takes about an hour and half by local train) and picked up my PR, or permanent resident visa. I'm happy, I'm sad....Of course I ended up waiting for quite a while but ended up getting it done all on my own (they don't speak English, Chinese, Portugese, Spanish, or Korean) so was happy about that. Also was happy to come back to school at 2:00pm, missing all of my classes and with only 3 hours left of the work day. hee hee.
Today I went to a kindergarten and taught about 60 5 year olds. It was cool. I mostly enjoyed it. I pretty much get the star treatment when I go to kindergarten. I play with the kids, teach them a few things, then the supervisors say,"Come and rest, you must be so tired!" Then I play again, and eat lunch with the kids. After that, we go outside to play. The kids all try to grab me and pull me around (the part I don't like) and after that, the supervisor has me sit and relax and gives me treats to eat and take home. I finish early, so today I feeling pretty satisfied-finished cooking my part for dinner, (MIL cooked some nimono, stuff boiled in fish stock, soy sauce and sugar-today's stuff is yummy stuff like shiitake and fried tofu and some bamboo shoots), done the washing up, and ready to go teach at 5:30.
Tomorrow some more visitors to watch a class. Thursday, elementary school. I think Friday might be a regular day for a change.
Gotta run to get HRH. Love to everyone.
Today I went to a kindergarten and taught about 60 5 year olds. It was cool. I mostly enjoyed it. I pretty much get the star treatment when I go to kindergarten. I play with the kids, teach them a few things, then the supervisors say,"Come and rest, you must be so tired!" Then I play again, and eat lunch with the kids. After that, we go outside to play. The kids all try to grab me and pull me around (the part I don't like) and after that, the supervisor has me sit and relax and gives me treats to eat and take home. I finish early, so today I feeling pretty satisfied-finished cooking my part for dinner, (MIL cooked some nimono, stuff boiled in fish stock, soy sauce and sugar-today's stuff is yummy stuff like shiitake and fried tofu and some bamboo shoots), done the washing up, and ready to go teach at 5:30.
Tomorrow some more visitors to watch a class. Thursday, elementary school. I think Friday might be a regular day for a change.
Gotta run to get HRH. Love to everyone.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
umm, ha ha, (shamefaced)
Well I am here. Not much time to use the computer lately. His royal highness is trying to kill me, I think. He's having sleeping problems and because of his not sleeping he is super cranky not to mention me! Then there's the whole sleep deprivation thing going on for me, too. He has been going to sleep really late at night, or going to sleep early-ish (meaning before 10:00) but waking up 2 or 3 times a night because of bad dreams? or something. Given that I finally fall asleep after 10, and wake up 2 or 3 times at night, get up at 5:00, I was a little out of it this week. So I did some research on the net (thankfully I have mostly free afternoons at work)about kids sleeping. I found a book on Amazon that I'm thinking about ordering about how to get kids to sleep with out crying and one more by the same author about how to get kids to do what you want them to without nagging or yelling etc. I'm interested in what she has to say. I'm not really into hitting for discipline and I would really like to know some other ways to 'manage' the little guy.(Although tonight I have to admit to giving him a little slap on his butt because the little bugger bit me while I was trying to get him into the bath-grrr!) When I read some of her advice, though, I liked what she had to say, but I don't know how possible it all is. Like she says that the optimal time to put kids to bed is between 6:00 and 7:30. I think that Hiroki is tired then, he is always lying down and playing around that time. (and extremely grumpy)Then it's like he wakes up and he's a happy boy again, but impossible to put to sleep. So I think that that probably is a good time frame for him BUT I don't even get hom from work until 6:30 on Mon & Tues, after 8:00 on Weds and home at 5:30 on Thurs and Fri but I go out to teach on Fri night until after 9:00. So I don't know about that. Especially since we have to eat and take a bath before he can go to bed. But I'm thinking of trying to move up his bedtime little by little. All I know is he is going to bed too late now!!
What else is going on here...I've been busy at school because of elementary school visits and kindergarten visits, which I like a lot, and people coming to watch classes which I don"t like but whatever.
And I'm reading a book (or skimming I guess) a book about food, named SuperFoods. There's a lot of food we need to eat every day in order to be healthy, holy crap! I eat school lunches when I'm at school because they are supposed to be nutritionally balanced, but some days I think they aren't really done well. I think there are some days when they need more vegetables. The worst part is that they all have to be high calorie because they are made for kids and they are all active and need to eat a lot. Then there's the milk , which I mostly don't drink, it's 3.6% fat. Most people in Japan drink this type of milk. My friend always says it's like drinking cream. The worst school lunch is agepan , which means fried bread. Yuck. Basically the bread is like doughnuts, only harder. We usually get 2 of these, along with something that doesn't suit it, (like stew or soup or stir fry) and always fruit cocktail with sweet grape jello and sweetened yogurt. The whole lunch makes me unhappy- my mouth usually hurts at the end of it. It would be a great snack, though.
Besides that, not much else. The news is full of people murdering children, some their own. One of the articles I read lately was about a couple in their 20s who left their 2 month old son in the car while they went to play pachinko , which I guess is equivalent to bingo in Canada. Assholes. They left him there for 5 hours and when one of them finally got off their ass to check on him, they found him dead from the heat. Poor little guy.
Anyway, it is getting late and I should probably sleep when I can!
xoxo to you all
What else is going on here...I've been busy at school because of elementary school visits and kindergarten visits, which I like a lot, and people coming to watch classes which I don"t like but whatever.
And I'm reading a book (or skimming I guess) a book about food, named SuperFoods. There's a lot of food we need to eat every day in order to be healthy, holy crap! I eat school lunches when I'm at school because they are supposed to be nutritionally balanced, but some days I think they aren't really done well. I think there are some days when they need more vegetables. The worst part is that they all have to be high calorie because they are made for kids and they are all active and need to eat a lot. Then there's the milk , which I mostly don't drink, it's 3.6% fat. Most people in Japan drink this type of milk. My friend always says it's like drinking cream. The worst school lunch is agepan , which means fried bread. Yuck. Basically the bread is like doughnuts, only harder. We usually get 2 of these, along with something that doesn't suit it, (like stew or soup or stir fry) and always fruit cocktail with sweet grape jello and sweetened yogurt. The whole lunch makes me unhappy- my mouth usually hurts at the end of it. It would be a great snack, though.
Besides that, not much else. The news is full of people murdering children, some their own. One of the articles I read lately was about a couple in their 20s who left their 2 month old son in the car while they went to play pachinko , which I guess is equivalent to bingo in Canada. Assholes. They left him there for 5 hours and when one of them finally got off their ass to check on him, they found him dead from the heat. Poor little guy.
Anyway, it is getting late and I should probably sleep when I can!
xoxo to you all
Friday, May 19, 2006
Sunday, May 14, 2006
well hello there
Well, I
I have decided today that I'm going to try and say only positive stuff as I'm worried that I always end up ranting here. Hmmm, what can I talk about...?
I'm feeling more comfortable at work now. I'm still not completely comfortable at the new school, but I am feeling much better now. I can tell because when I went to the elementary for the second time, I was wishing that I was going to my regular school where I didn't feel so nervous.
I am really enjoying teaching with one of the teachers I work with. There's 4 of them; one is burned out, I think and doesn't have much energy for classes. He still calls me by the last ALT's name sometimes, it doesn't really bug me but the students notice and they all think it's funny. Another teacher is pretty stressed out, I think. She has taken a lot of time off lately and she's not doing too well. She's the one I worked with before and I thought she just didn't like working with females, but we were talking and she said that she just doesn't want to commuicate with anyone. Oooh, not good for a teacher. Another teacher is a lot of fun to teach with, he's young and energetic and talks to the kids as much as possible in English. The other teacher is very young, as in this is her first year teaching. She keeps asking ME what to do and what do I think.
So we sing English songs at the beginning of every English class. Unfortunately, it means that alot of songs that I wouldn't choose end up getting stuck in my head. This month's songs are Hello Goodbye, by the Beatles for grade 7 and the handicapped class; YMCA by the Village People for the grade 8s, and the grade 9s are singing Karma Chameleonby, yes, the Culture Club. The Beatles I can handle. YMCA is, um, challenging. I can't believe the words to it-something along the lines of telling a "young man" to go to the Y cause he can have lots of fun hanging out with the guys. Uh, yeah. I don't think the students know the background of the band. :P
THe Culture Club is another song that doesn't make sense to me- as in what could it possibly mean-loving would be easy if your colours were like my dream- red, gold, and green Huh?
Anyway, I was quite pleased with myself this weekend. I got my Feb issue of Canadian Living in the mail not too long ago, and of course it had chocolate recipes in it for Valentine's Day. I looked at a Brownie recipe and thought I would make it, bought chocolate for it. When time came to make it, I really looked at the recipe and thought, Shit! I can't make this! There was 1 cup of butter in it and 2 cups of sugar in it!! So I looked around and found a different recipe that might be a low fat type of recipe for Brownies, it has no butter (oil instead) and less sugar (plus I cut back on the sugar anyway, I pretty much always do) and they are GOOD! They remind me of the President's Choice Bite Brownie that I discovered in Canada in my last year there. Yay! I was really enjoying them. (addicted)this so long next time.
Well, I should probably go to bed. I'll try not to leave this so long next time!
Friday, April 28, 2006
what can I say
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!
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!
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.
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