So, for the last couple of weeks, I've been getting really dodgy internet services. It comes and goes and usually when I need it for anything, it goes.
I think the guy I'm smooching internet off of is on to me and has had enough. Or maybe because two new families moved into the newly built house across the street and they're also smooching internet.
Who knows?
Who cares, really?
I just want reliable internet in the comforts of my own home....for free.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A Tragic Accident
I found out yesterday that a friend, a fellow English teacher here, felt dizzy while waiting for the subway over the weekend. She fainted and then fell down on the tracks. She was hit by an oncoming train and her right leg was severed while her left one was injured severely. Thankfully, she's alive.
When I first got the news through an email, I was really shocked. My hands went cold and I started shaking. I can't stop thinking about how her life will be changed by all this. I feel really sad and frustrated that I have no power to reverse what has happened.
Since hearing the news, I've been in a daze (as are other teachers) and I keep hoping that when I open my eyes the next morning, this'd all just be a bad dream.
Sigh...other than that I'm ok though, so no need to worry about me.
When I first got the news through an email, I was really shocked. My hands went cold and I started shaking. I can't stop thinking about how her life will be changed by all this. I feel really sad and frustrated that I have no power to reverse what has happened.
Since hearing the news, I've been in a daze (as are other teachers) and I keep hoping that when I open my eyes the next morning, this'd all just be a bad dream.
Sigh...other than that I'm ok though, so no need to worry about me.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Back in Action
Happy New Year!
For those who may not know, I spent two weeks away from Japan during winter break. I went to Hong Kong to visit my mom's side of the family and also skipped to Taiwan for a couple of days.
Initially, when I told my mom that I was gonna be in Hong Kong for the holidays, she and my dad also bought a ticket so that they could join me there. So, needless to say, it was a pretty sweet vacation. I got to get away to a warm place, I got to see my family, and got to go on a side trip to Taiwan! Life couldn't have been any better...which is perhaps the reason why I'm feeling a bit like crap now that I'm back in Japan.
Maybe it's the culture shock finally setting in. Aside from being constantly "almost sick" from the cold weather, I also feel a physical fatigue from not being able to communicate with people and always having to explain to people why an Asian looking person like myself cannot speak Japanese in Japan.
And on days like today where I don't have any classes, it gets extra boring. I sit in the staff room with my brain rotting away and trying desperately not to fall asleep at my desk. I realized that the thing that keeps me excited about going to school is the students and not having classes just suck. Big time.
To top it off, tomorrow will be yet another dreadful day because it's Tuesday. On Tuesdays, I teach 4 classes. Three of them are 3rd grade junior high classes. When I ask the English teacher how I should prepare for those classes, she tells me that "anything is ok."
For most other ALTs (assistant language teachers), hearing that is like winning lottery. Most ALTs complain about being used as a "human tape recorder" to read excerpts from the text book and never getting any freedom to do anything creative. So, being told "anything is ok" by an English teacher is considered the ultimate prize.
However, I feel lost. I want to know how my lessons contribute to the overall English curriculum. I want to provide some sort of coherent lesson to the students where one class is related to the one before it and the one after. I want these students to leave the class feeling like they've learned something and that their time was not wasted. These classes feel like such an experiment on my part and I feel bad when I think students walk away not learning a thing. Sigh.
If you are still reading up until this point, perhaps you like to hear me sulk because that's not the worst of it. Aside from having three experimentational classes, I also teach English to a special education class.
There are only three male students in that class, but I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
The oldest of the three is grumpy all the time and likes to throw tantrums. He constantly reminds me how many minutes of class is left. He's really good at puzzles and seems to enjoy them. It's that or he's hoping that it'll make class go by faster.
The second kid is lost in space for the majority of the class. It's really difficult trying to get him to participate in any activity. Sometimes he replies in a high pitched shrilly voice and I wonder if he's simply just trying to mock me.
The third student doesn't even seem to "special ed" to me. He likes to mumble to himself every so often, but overall, he's the most engaged one of the three. Initially, I tried my hardest to teach them useful English like days of the week, names of the months, and etc. But that all fell to pieces by the time I got to "March." They decided it was useless to remember any of that and put their heads down on the table. How else do you learn these things aside from memorization?
Anyway, it's too much complaining. All in all, I still enjoy my time here very much. Just wish I had a bit more professional guidance.
For those who may not know, I spent two weeks away from Japan during winter break. I went to Hong Kong to visit my mom's side of the family and also skipped to Taiwan for a couple of days.
Initially, when I told my mom that I was gonna be in Hong Kong for the holidays, she and my dad also bought a ticket so that they could join me there. So, needless to say, it was a pretty sweet vacation. I got to get away to a warm place, I got to see my family, and got to go on a side trip to Taiwan! Life couldn't have been any better...which is perhaps the reason why I'm feeling a bit like crap now that I'm back in Japan.
Maybe it's the culture shock finally setting in. Aside from being constantly "almost sick" from the cold weather, I also feel a physical fatigue from not being able to communicate with people and always having to explain to people why an Asian looking person like myself cannot speak Japanese in Japan.
And on days like today where I don't have any classes, it gets extra boring. I sit in the staff room with my brain rotting away and trying desperately not to fall asleep at my desk. I realized that the thing that keeps me excited about going to school is the students and not having classes just suck. Big time.
To top it off, tomorrow will be yet another dreadful day because it's Tuesday. On Tuesdays, I teach 4 classes. Three of them are 3rd grade junior high classes. When I ask the English teacher how I should prepare for those classes, she tells me that "anything is ok."
For most other ALTs (assistant language teachers), hearing that is like winning lottery. Most ALTs complain about being used as a "human tape recorder" to read excerpts from the text book and never getting any freedom to do anything creative. So, being told "anything is ok" by an English teacher is considered the ultimate prize.
However, I feel lost. I want to know how my lessons contribute to the overall English curriculum. I want to provide some sort of coherent lesson to the students where one class is related to the one before it and the one after. I want these students to leave the class feeling like they've learned something and that their time was not wasted. These classes feel like such an experiment on my part and I feel bad when I think students walk away not learning a thing. Sigh.
If you are still reading up until this point, perhaps you like to hear me sulk because that's not the worst of it. Aside from having three experimentational classes, I also teach English to a special education class.
There are only three male students in that class, but I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
The oldest of the three is grumpy all the time and likes to throw tantrums. He constantly reminds me how many minutes of class is left. He's really good at puzzles and seems to enjoy them. It's that or he's hoping that it'll make class go by faster.
The second kid is lost in space for the majority of the class. It's really difficult trying to get him to participate in any activity. Sometimes he replies in a high pitched shrilly voice and I wonder if he's simply just trying to mock me.
The third student doesn't even seem to "special ed" to me. He likes to mumble to himself every so often, but overall, he's the most engaged one of the three. Initially, I tried my hardest to teach them useful English like days of the week, names of the months, and etc. But that all fell to pieces by the time I got to "March." They decided it was useless to remember any of that and put their heads down on the table. How else do you learn these things aside from memorization?
Anyway, it's too much complaining. All in all, I still enjoy my time here very much. Just wish I had a bit more professional guidance.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Lost in Translation
There's a store here in the city called Don Quixote. To say it bluntly, it is basically an absolute assault on people's 5 senses. You go into the store and it just overwhelmes you with the noise of store clerks greeting you and of random different videos playing on 10 separate TVs. Products of every kind (including furniture, costumes, electronics, party goods, sanitary products, expensive bags, and etc) line the entire store space. Each shelf is filled from floor to ceiling. It's stuffy, it's confusing and it's slightly appalling. I've been there twice and have not successful exited without getting a headache either time.
Ah, let me get to the point of this post. So, in Japanese, there is a script (one of three) called Katakana. Katakana is used when writing out foreign words. So, "Don Quixote" in katakana would be donkihote.
During lunch today, the tea lady brought up Don Quixote in her conversation with the social science teacher. Surprisingly, he was unfamiliar with the store. When he heard the name, he asked if the "donki" part of "donkihote" meant the same thing as "donkey."
Ah, let me get to the point of this post. So, in Japanese, there is a script (one of three) called Katakana. Katakana is used when writing out foreign words. So, "Don Quixote" in katakana would be donkihote.
During lunch today, the tea lady brought up Don Quixote in her conversation with the social science teacher. Surprisingly, he was unfamiliar with the store. When he heard the name, he asked if the "donki" part of "donkihote" meant the same thing as "donkey."
Monday, November 26, 2007
Take Two
Another earthquake just happened here. Second one today. This one lasted pretty long. I stood by the doorway and saw the bookshelf shake. Scary.
My nerves are a bit shaken...no pun intended. I'm ok though. Have my emergency bag ready to go.
My nerves are a bit shaken...no pun intended. I'm ok though. Have my emergency bag ready to go.
31-year old Japanese females
I don't know why, but I've gotten to know many 31-year old Japanese females during my short time here. I don't do it on purpose, it's just that almost every Japanese girl I meet happens to be 31...and all single. They're not 30, not 32, they're all 31. It's a mystery to me.
Inevitably, because of their view of their age and marital status, the conversation always veer towards the topic of guys. In each of my initial conversations with them, they always tell me that they don't have a boyfriend. I dutifully nod in response to hearing that. Honestly, there's not much else that I can do aside from nod.
And then the conversation somehow turns to me...albeit unwillingly on my part. Each one of them would say, "So, do you have a boyfriend?" And when my reply's a "no," they always give me a sympathetic nod.
One of them even asked me, "Why not?" one time. At that point, the conversation just turned awkward. I wasn't sure how to tell her that for me, at this current point in time in my life, I feel ok about not having a boyfriend. It's not like I'm trying to reach the nirvana of spinsterhood, but is singledom really that undesirable? Am I really that weird for enjoying my own space and time?
Anyway, my most recent encounter with a 31 Japanese female is my tutor. She is also 31 and single and she keeps asking me whether I like any of my guy friends that she's met.
I will admit that all this talk has made me feel somewhat insecure about my single status. I guess it's kind of like in elementary school when every girl had a scrunchie and I'm still using a rubber band to hold my hair up.
Inevitably, because of their view of their age and marital status, the conversation always veer towards the topic of guys. In each of my initial conversations with them, they always tell me that they don't have a boyfriend. I dutifully nod in response to hearing that. Honestly, there's not much else that I can do aside from nod.
And then the conversation somehow turns to me...albeit unwillingly on my part. Each one of them would say, "So, do you have a boyfriend?" And when my reply's a "no," they always give me a sympathetic nod.
One of them even asked me, "Why not?" one time. At that point, the conversation just turned awkward. I wasn't sure how to tell her that for me, at this current point in time in my life, I feel ok about not having a boyfriend. It's not like I'm trying to reach the nirvana of spinsterhood, but is singledom really that undesirable? Am I really that weird for enjoying my own space and time?
Anyway, my most recent encounter with a 31 Japanese female is my tutor. She is also 31 and single and she keeps asking me whether I like any of my guy friends that she's met.
I will admit that all this talk has made me feel somewhat insecure about my single status. I guess it's kind of like in elementary school when every girl had a scrunchie and I'm still using a rubber band to hold my hair up.
Earthquake
There was an earthquake at 6:47am this morning. I was getting dressed for work when the doors to my closet started to rattle. I stopped for 5 seconds hoping that the minor tremble would be the end of it. And then the bigger one rolled in.
The whole thing only lasted for about 10 seconds total, but it totally freaked me out.
I kept looking at the news online when I got to school, but it took a while to find it. I guess it wasn't such a big deal because other teachers didn't even mention it.
Coming from California, this is nothing new, but it's still kinda scary since people keep saying that the city/ country is "overdue" for a big one...then again, that's what people have said about California as well. None of this provides any comfort.
The whole thing only lasted for about 10 seconds total, but it totally freaked me out.
I kept looking at the news online when I got to school, but it took a while to find it. I guess it wasn't such a big deal because other teachers didn't even mention it.
Coming from California, this is nothing new, but it's still kinda scary since people keep saying that the city/ country is "overdue" for a big one...then again, that's what people have said about California as well. None of this provides any comfort.
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