Weird Stuff
Today I went out to Oshima Island's elementary school. It is a small school of 65 kids, they are all really genki (lively) and friendly. I felt like Jennifer Lopez, or at least someone who made some kind of significant scientific discovery. It's like you are a VIP or famous person. You are escorted everywhere. Between classes I am given coffee in the principal's office. It is normal for people to clap when I walk into the room. It is going to be a big shock if I ever go back to being an overworked teacher in NZ. The difference between being a guest in a NZ school as a trainee teacher and being a guest in a Japanese school as an ALT is vast indeed.
At lunch today the kids and teacher marvelled that I am able to use chopsticks. They obviously haven't seen me trying to get the last bit of noodle out of the bowl in the privacy of my own home. I was stoked because my Japanese has got better and I can ask one or two extraordinarily basic questions, or answer them. I only needed about half of the questions to be translated for me today. It is a really amazing feeling, to slowly transform into a bilingual being.
On Sunday in Yanai with my mates (post Halloween party, hungover = yakiniku. There simply is nothing else) we all went out for a meal. The waiter dude came over and I just started ordering what we wanted. Okay, so it was really simple, two of this, three of that, and can we have some water please kinda stuff. But I did it. I was actually able to order food and be understood. Trust me it hasn't always been this way. I have had waiters look at me and just sit there blankly, with neither of us knowing what the hell to do. It's stuff like that which makes you want to come home, when you occasionally feel that way. Just sheer frustration and fear.
Today I got back to the Hagi port at 1.30pm, and cruised off to the supermarket to get ingredients for the chocolate self-saucing pudding I am making for a dinner party tonight. It's a public holiday tomorrow so we are all eating and sleeping over at Sarah's place. Should be fun. I am making the pudding in the new microwave oven Dan and I bought last night. Rockin! I can finally cook stuff. Great feeling.
At lunch today the kids and teacher marvelled that I am able to use chopsticks. They obviously haven't seen me trying to get the last bit of noodle out of the bowl in the privacy of my own home. I was stoked because my Japanese has got better and I can ask one or two extraordinarily basic questions, or answer them. I only needed about half of the questions to be translated for me today. It is a really amazing feeling, to slowly transform into a bilingual being.
On Sunday in Yanai with my mates (post Halloween party, hungover = yakiniku. There simply is nothing else) we all went out for a meal. The waiter dude came over and I just started ordering what we wanted. Okay, so it was really simple, two of this, three of that, and can we have some water please kinda stuff. But I did it. I was actually able to order food and be understood. Trust me it hasn't always been this way. I have had waiters look at me and just sit there blankly, with neither of us knowing what the hell to do. It's stuff like that which makes you want to come home, when you occasionally feel that way. Just sheer frustration and fear.
Today I got back to the Hagi port at 1.30pm, and cruised off to the supermarket to get ingredients for the chocolate self-saucing pudding I am making for a dinner party tonight. It's a public holiday tomorrow so we are all eating and sleeping over at Sarah's place. Should be fun. I am making the pudding in the new microwave oven Dan and I bought last night. Rockin! I can finally cook stuff. Great feeling.
posted by Rosie at
6:08 pm
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