I had to get to the school by myself today for the first time. Getting the train with my Ipod blasting rocking tunes was good, trying to psyche myself up for genkiness. That all kinda fell with my first class. Damn 5th graders. they were alright the class didn't bomb..but they certainly were a galaxy away from enthusiasm in comparison to my 1st and 2nd graders. They were also less knowledgeable than my kids at the other school at the same age. Serious differences between education standard here. I ask them "How are you?" and they echo back "how are you"....guys that's simple stuff that the 2nd graders in the other school knew!!!
Well it went better from then on really though. The other classes were curious about me, and especially the girls hoarded around me touching my necklace, yanking at my bracelets, asking me all sorts of questions in Japanese and sometimes English. Some were so sweet! This boy gave me an origami crane which I cherished, and one girl ran up to me after class and gave me one of her cute teddy bear erasers. I was sooo chuffed!
The funniest and oddest thing was with my last class. The other ALT who normally teaches has set up this tradition that the students get stamps after class, which is on they're english name tag. I was giving the stamps to people and one girl was shouting that she wanted me to Sain/sign her piece of card. After I got what she wanted I was like ok...she literally stuck the pencil right in my face. So I signed the card with "Mai" in cursive writing. At this all the other kids crowded around and go "ooooooohhhhhh!, "eeeeehhhhhhh", there is like a split second of silence and suddenly I have 15 or so name cards stuck in to my face and a chorus of "sensei, sain! sain! sain!"
So I end up signing my name on all these kids name tags, feeling like some hounded pop star! It was quite funny really, they all wanted my name 2/3 times with different pens on their cards...it was weird. One kid wanted "biggu" (bigger), and after that obviously everyone else also had to have my name on their tags bigger...and so on.
I guess it's the equivalent of western people wanting Chinese characters written for them because we think they're really exotic and pretty.
The way back was a little stupid on my part...me being a terrible left and right remembering person, promptly walks in the wrong direction. When I finally go back, I happen upon a bunch of my kids who are like "Herro Mai senseiiiiii!". So we had a long discussion (in kind of a non language) of where the station is...whether the other ALT has a boyfriend, trying on glasses etc... It was cool though. The girls really are ace.
I finally got back and went off for some Chinese food with Steven, filling stuff! I find that any spoken Chinese I hear is actually comforting..almost like a piece of home...which just confuses me, as I really am not Chinese...yet I love mandarin. We went to Tully's for coffee and I had a macha latte - a green tea latte. It was...interesting. Very green...and definatley something you need to get used to.
Damn I hate all the spiders here...they are MASSIVE and in the trees...with they're red and green bodies...it actually revolts me walking underneath them or past them....this is one definate reason for never living here!!!!!
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