Things started quietly on Monday with a normal school day and ongoing introduction lessons as I continue to plough my way through the first 14 classes. In an effort to stave off boredom in the teachers' room and show the kids I have an active interest in them I also made the somewhat rash decision to make name tags for the students...all 400 of them. My 4 JTE's (Japanese Teacher of English) were fairly surprised and pleased to discover I could read Hiragana (one of the Japanese alphabets) and that I was willing to translate into English for the kids! A week later I have finished 1st and 2nd years...hmm.
In a bid to win over my main JTE, Masuda Sensei and some of the kids I signed up to join in with tennis club on Tuesday afternoon (as Masuda Sensei is the male tennis club coach). Again, not really thinking things through, I forgot that the boys and girls are separated and that in fact I wouldn't get to talk to Masuda Sensei at all! Despite that it was a gorgeous day and I had a blast. I haven't played tennis in SO long though and I have certainly never played 'soft' tennis on a dirt court, so it was a very new experience.
The girls seemed to enjoy having me there (they particularly liked my praise...'great smash') but my biggest fan was Isono Sensei...the female tennis club coach. She thinks I am a star on court and as such I somehow agreed to buy a racquet and play against her on a regular basis at the local tennis club!!! She is a pretty cool teacher...I reckon if I was 15 years older and Japanese I would be a lot like her :) I think she suffers from my competitive streak so the games could get interesting. So yes, I am now a member of the 'Tennis Club Mafia'. Hopefully this wont dent my plans to get to some other clubs like Kendo, art, volleyball and table tennis in the near future!
The rest of the school week was spent befriending the teachers as classes were light on due to exams. I think the teachers are realising one by one that I have an honest love of Japanese culture and that I am willing to embrace it and try everything at least once! I had a conversation with Shiba Sensei and I told him I was wanting to sit the Japanese proficiency exam...the next day he came in bearing a gift of Japanese sweet biscuits for me! My street cred also improves every day that I eat the school lunch too...with chopsticks! The teachers have developed a keen sense of respect for me as I scoff down everything served up to me...when half the time they don't even know what it is we are eating!!!
Friday night brought with it a chance to let off some steam and try my hand at Taiko...Japanese drumming. Those that know me well know that I can't play any musical instrument to save my life. So understandably I went into the class with some trepidation...trying to channel some Dave Grohl circa Nirvana days. Much to my surprise and delight I have more rhythm than I give myself credit for and had great fun thumping the life out of the big drums with the other ALT's in the area.
Sadly my school week extended to Saturday as it was parent's day at Omiya JH. I should have seen it as an omen when I awoke to snow outside...this was not going to be a good day! Silvy (my trusty steed) and I trudged off to school in the snow and after feeling returned to my extremities I was informed that I would be participating in a demonstration English class for the parents. Now this in itself was a terrifying thought only 2 weeks into this teaching gig. Now add to the equation that the lesson was to be with the 1st year students who can barely speak any English. Compounded with the fact that the 1st year JTE is fresh out of university and is even more scared of being up in front of those kids than what I am, it was bound to be an ordeal.
I was told by Kurosawa Sensei 5 minutes before the lesson that we would be teaching phonics of the alphabet (a-a-ant, b-b-ball for those of you playing at home). Not too much of a scary thought...until you find yourself trying to describe the sound for 'x' with 'box' as your sample word...in front of 34 terrified children and the watchful eyes of their parents at the back of the classroom!!! Kurosawa Sensei and I battled through and I made a mad dash for the teachers' room as soon as class was over to hang my head in shame. From now on I am reading the textbooks at least 5 lessons in advance...just in case.
After the torment of PTA day I got to relish in social activities with my favourite English speaking ALT counterparts. First up was dinner and karaoke in Mito to celebrate Sam's birthday...oh what fun! Considering before I moved here I abhorred the thought of Kareoke, my first Japanese experience of the sport (yes, after Saturday night, I consider it a sport) was unreal! Perhaps it was the awesomely bad film clips that accompany the tunes or the freedom of belting out tacky 80's numbers at the top of your lungs in a small smokey room with 11 others? Whatever the reason, we left Mito in the wee hours of the morning with sore throats but feeling very satisfied indeed.
Last night was a little more sedate as past and present Hitachiomiya ALT's gathered to farewell one of it's own...Lisa...who is off on another adventure in China. Another trip to Mito for Izakaya (all you can eat/drink) but thankfully an early night after the Karaoke antics on Saturday!
I wrapped up my weekend today by road tripping with JJ to a nearby shrine and scoping out the local gym. I use the term 'gym' loosely here as it is probably twice the size of my shoebox (apartment) and feels more like somebody's home set up in their garage. To counteract the claustrophobia I felt afterwards I went for a run out of town amongst the rice paddies...
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