"Sensei WAKA-!” (Teacher, you’re young!)

Settle in and grab a snack; this is going to be a sort of long post since I haven’t updated for a while. As my third week of teaching draws to a close, I figure it’s about time I got my thoughts in order.

A lot of things have happened—starting free Japanese lessons at the library, an international potluck, a welcome party, fun interactions with students, and a weekend trip out to Kansai to see a band I like, Galneryus, in Osaka. (It was so, so worth it.) I’ll write more about that in the next post since this one’s a biggie.

I’ve almost gotten used to the routine of things and the teaching environment, but there are still times when I have a minor freak-out if my lessons are all at the start of the day without any planning periods before, and it’s a new one I haven’t taught before at another school. Thankfully, there are online resources with lesson plans for each grade level, which we can of course modify, perhaps adding in or substituting games we’ve learned from another teacher or from training.

I arrive at school at 8 and get to go home around 4:30 each day, but the other teachers get there earlier and stay later, so I feel a little guilty leaving them behind. There is sincerity behind my perfunctory “Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu” (“I’m being rude by going first!”) that I say when leaving. Another standard phrase, which is handy and would be nice to have in English, is “Otsukaresama desu/deshita!” This literally means something like “You must be tired” and basically expresses that you think someone’s been working hard—good for them. Another thing I feel bad about is having fewer lessons than everyone … typically I teach for three periods a day, sometimes two, sometimes four, but there are six periods in total.

Now for funny things that have happened more than once, in no particular order. When the kids find out I’m 22 (during Q & A at the end of my self-intro, for example), some are like “Wakai!” (“So young!”) Which is ironic given that they’re, you know, the ones in elementary school. Many times now, I’ve been asked if I have a boyfriend or if I like anyone (today I just responded “I like everyone~!” and gestured to the whole class. Evasive tactics!). When one girl at lunch asked about my living situation and I said I lived alone in an apartment, she asked if I had a boyfriend and when I said no, she went, “Oh, but I think you can find one soon. ;) ” Uh…thanks for the reassurance, little lady. A couple kids have even asked if I have kids! But that’s before they find out my age. Not that there aren’t 22-year-old moms, but still.

Another fun thing: this Tuesday, I had my first sudden schedule switcheroo (SSS?) in which I taught 3^rd, 5^th and 6^th grades instead of 1^st through 3^rd and the special needs 2^nd and 3^rd graders, and the order was all switched around. But the English representative had a lot of things planned out, so it worked out okay. Another surprise was the quick interview with the broadcasting kids, a pair of 6^th grade girls. They asked me and the young teacher whose desk is next to mine about things like our birthday, what mascot characters we liked (I said Doraemon and Rilakkuma), what the best things were about that school’s students, and what our goal for this year was. I did my best in Japanese but threw in a little English to help them learn!

Then, after that lunch period, I found out some of the girls in 4^th grade were reeeally into Frozen (or Anna and the Snow Queen as they call it here) as they started singing some of “Let it Go” in Japanese and encouraged me to also sing in English. Damn, that song is high! Then they got more into it and one girl (who is an interesting mix of Japanese, Filipino and Brazilian) started acting out all the motions, even as they switched into other songs like “Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?” and “In Summer” …her Olaf was on point! She did his little jazzy tap section, too (“ta-ra-ta-ta-ta tata!”). Then she periodically collapsed on the floor. Crazy young’ins!

At my biggest school, we also talked about Frozen’s greatness, and the homeroom teacher encouraged me to draw myself on their 6^th grade blackboard which one kid had already doodled on. I did, though I haven’t drawn in a while and chalk is hard, but the kids were nonetheless impressed, more than was warranted. “Umai!” (So good!) “Niteru!” (It looks like you!) Someone said my style was like Osamu Tezuka’s—haven’t gotten that before! Then they started doing their own versions all around it—I loved the variety of styles, so I ran down to grab my phone for a picture. Side note: I’m loving this iPhone, can’t believe I survived until Japan without one.

Now, back to the first week—that Sunday was a busy one, as my big school actually had class that day, with Monday off in exchange. Thankfully I got off early after I finished teaching 3 classes and rushed up to an international potluck in a lovely park north of town. It was a little drizzly and cold, but thankfully there was plenty of shelter. The sakura were still in full bloom there, which brightened things up a bit. The highlight of that was getting to try dishes from various countries and hear how different people sounded in Japanese—there’s not just one “gaijin accent.” I hung out with other ALTs and met Japanese, Jamaican, Indonesian and Thai people. My “baked” mac and cheese was a big hit—I did my darndest with what was available! I couldn’t find cheddar (I bought what looked like it but turned out to be American cheese; I cried inside as I threw it in the sauce) and my shredded cheese didn’t specify what kind, and I didn’t have an oven, but I toasted the breadcrumb topping in the toaster oven and it somehow worked! One of my Japanese instructors, who helped set it up, was such a fan she asked if she could bring the rest back to finish off and return the baking dish next class. Clearly they need some mac and cheese revolution up in this country!

That night was my first and only welcome party … yes I had only been invited that morning, and yes it was around the cost of one’s firstborn child (kidding; ¥5000 or $50), but it was my only chance and I don’t get many chances to party or bond with people, so I YOLOed it (said ironically, of course). At the party, which was in honor of new staff members, I found out why it was that costly…it was a lovely traditional restaurant that had a small courtyard inside and served very high-class old-school Japanese food. And beer, of course…though some teachers drove alone so they had oolong tea or 0% beer. There was a funny skit by a young male and female teacher, and I managed to get on the LINE messaging list for the house parties that the guy has sometimes in summer. Yay social lives! Also, hilarity ensued when some of us were trying to exchange LINE contact info and frantically shaking phones at each other (there’s a “Shake It” feature). My English representative was super nice and gave me a ride back home since I had drunk a bit.

Now it’s time for “Read Between the Lines” – a look at that famous Japanese subtlety.

What is said: “Aren’t you cold?”

What is meant: “Why aren’t you wearing more clothes?” (Ok, that time I didn’t really get it, since I was wearing a blazer, dress and tights…plenty covered up!)

What is said: “Is that enough?” (referring to my amount of lunch)

What is meant: “Teacher are you dieting???” (one kid asked me that another time…really it was a pretty normal amount of food, and I usually snack after school anyway)

What is said: “It might be hard to prepare the school lunch without meat.”

What is meant: “It is literally impossible to make anything without some form of animal remains. You’re on your own for lunch every day. Welcome to the Japanese Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor—good luck, ya weirdo hippie!”

What is said: (email from work) “Sometimes you have to pay some for the free drinks at school, because sometimes teachers buy them. It’s free, but be careful about Japanese culture….”etc. etc.

What is meant: “Your coworker at this one school may have told you that the coffee is free during the start of the year, but time’s up: you gotta bring your own drinks or pay up, f***er.”

Okay these were slightly exaggerated for comedic effect…I meant no harm!

Tune in next time for my experiences at a tiny Kobe synagogue and a metal show in Osaka…

I'll do a big photo dump in that entry since I'm having some internet problems. Shikata ga nai / C'est la vie!