I believe all across Japan in many JHS Second-Year English classes (American 8th graders) students have been learning about E.T.
It's funny teaching kids words like alien and spaceship. One thing that would be interesting to find out is if all the hype about people seeing spaceships and Area 57 (or is it 51) that is abound in the U.S. occurs in Japan too. That will be an interesting question for my ni-nen-seis (second years) next week.
Like I said, the kids have more or less stopped using their textbooks as the school year is almost finished. Two weeks until graduation. But, the third years (American 9th graders) will graduate and not have to come to school, but the 1st and 2nd years keep coming to school until the 26th. Then they have a week and a half long Spring Break.
Anyways, as the school year is dying down my teacher decided we should reward the students with a fun class day. Imagine my suprise!! So, we took the kids down to the theatre room at school and transformed it into a movie theatre. So cool! He wanted to have the kids watch E.T. My teacher kept asking me about it and I have to say... I haven't watched E.T. in ages. When was the last time you did? I don't think I've even seen it all the way through. So, I kept having to tell him I had no idea what he was talking about when he asked me different questions about the movie.
So, watching the movie was fun. The kids were amazed by how big the house was and that they had a green front yard. And a dog! Oh, I miss Chip!!
The kids enjoyed the movie (and the boys enjoyed sleeping... so naughty!) for the most part and I did too. But, the sound track kept reminding me of Star Wars. I think the kids would have enjoyed that more. I know I would have!
Now, my kids understand why I kept saying "E.T. Phone Home" in a funny voice in class last week. Phew!
Also, T-two weeks til the parents visit. Bought our plane tickets to the mainland. The islander discount (if you live on the island you get a discount on your ticket cuz... it's the only way to get to the mianland if you dont want to take an 18 hour ferry ride) only applied to my ticket. Which sucked. I was hoping to get all the tickets for a discounted price. Still need to reserve a rental car in Okinawa though. Also, checked with almost all my schools and they are excited to have my parents as show-and-tell guests. I'll be teaching 5 classes the two days my parents are here so the rest of the time is free time. But during the classes my parents will give their Jikoushokais (self introductions). In English, though my Mom wants to be able to say it in Japanese! Exciting!!
That's all for now.
Love and Miss you,
Steph
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Long time gone
Oh, I can't believe it's already been a whole month! Time has flown by.
With the beginning of March, I now have less than half a year in Japan. That's a big turning point! 5 months. It seems like such a short amount of time. I'm happy with the decision to stay a year and looking forward to whatever's next. But, I'll certainly miss the beaches.
Speaking of beaches, while everyone back in the Mid-West and Eastern U.S. were bundling up because of the snow, I was lounging on a beach trying not to get a suntan. I know, horrible for rubbing that one in ;) But, it has been beautiful down here. The sun has been out, and as my neighbors have informed me, soon the gokiburi (cockroaches) will follow. Eeeek!!
This week has been a great one. All the weeks feel like they are going faster.
Was at my favorite school today. My kids have already finished their English Textbooks for the year. So, all the classes are more fun. Except for the third-years, my most favorite group, who are cracking down and studying for their upcoming high school entrance exams next week.
In Japan, students have to take a high school entrance exam, a seperate one each for private and public school. What school you get into can really set up what your life will be like. There are schools for just about anything. You want to work on ships, there's a school for that. Unfortunately, on Erabu we only have one highschool. Because of this, though, it's a pretty high-performing academic high school (or so I'm told). So it's a bit harder to get into. If kids want, they can try to take the entrace exam for a school on the mainland. If they get into a mainland school and can afford it, they'll be living in college-like dormitiories. Sounds pretty interesting! I can understand their desire to get off the island -- island fever, dontchaknow!
But, most of my kids just want to go the high school here. I guess, being there age, I would be afraid to go out on my own too.
The past few days have been a bit cold and dreary, but getting everything set up for my parents visit in two and half weeks has been great. Just bought the tickets and finalized what we will be doing on the island. Super psyched to see them as I haven't seem them for 7 months.
Also, lately I've been thinking about creating a seperate blog. I enjoy blogging about life here and who knows where I will be next! But, it's a great way for family and friends to keep in touch. What do you say, is blogger (what I'm currently on) or wordpress (what my study abroad blog was hosted on) better? Thoughts would be great!!
With the beginning of March, I now have less than half a year in Japan. That's a big turning point! 5 months. It seems like such a short amount of time. I'm happy with the decision to stay a year and looking forward to whatever's next. But, I'll certainly miss the beaches.
Speaking of beaches, while everyone back in the Mid-West and Eastern U.S. were bundling up because of the snow, I was lounging on a beach trying not to get a suntan. I know, horrible for rubbing that one in ;) But, it has been beautiful down here. The sun has been out, and as my neighbors have informed me, soon the gokiburi (cockroaches) will follow. Eeeek!!
This week has been a great one. All the weeks feel like they are going faster.
Was at my favorite school today. My kids have already finished their English Textbooks for the year. So, all the classes are more fun. Except for the third-years, my most favorite group, who are cracking down and studying for their upcoming high school entrance exams next week.
In Japan, students have to take a high school entrance exam, a seperate one each for private and public school. What school you get into can really set up what your life will be like. There are schools for just about anything. You want to work on ships, there's a school for that. Unfortunately, on Erabu we only have one highschool. Because of this, though, it's a pretty high-performing academic high school (or so I'm told). So it's a bit harder to get into. If kids want, they can try to take the entrace exam for a school on the mainland. If they get into a mainland school and can afford it, they'll be living in college-like dormitiories. Sounds pretty interesting! I can understand their desire to get off the island -- island fever, dontchaknow!
But, most of my kids just want to go the high school here. I guess, being there age, I would be afraid to go out on my own too.
The past few days have been a bit cold and dreary, but getting everything set up for my parents visit in two and half weeks has been great. Just bought the tickets and finalized what we will be doing on the island. Super psyched to see them as I haven't seem them for 7 months.
Also, lately I've been thinking about creating a seperate blog. I enjoy blogging about life here and who knows where I will be next! But, it's a great way for family and friends to keep in touch. What do you say, is blogger (what I'm currently on) or wordpress (what my study abroad blog was hosted on) better? Thoughts would be great!!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
School Pics
Thought I would share a couple pictures from around school.
Yes, that is the Grateful Dead and a bunch of technicolor teddy bears. One of my students from my 3rd grade class (American 9th graders) owns this pencil case. However, she's never heard of the grateful dead and I'm sure she thinks I'm crazy after trying to explain that her pencil case is the namesake of a 70s band.
And that is a sideways book. Well, manga actually. Like a comic book. The title is "Macbeth". So, yes a Shakespearian-inspired comic book. The student who owns this, also from my 3rd grade class, was reading this instead of doing his in-class English work. Oops!!!
There ya go!
Check me out, I'm giving y'all more updates than you can comment on! Def becoming a better blogger
- Love and Miss you!
Steph
Yes, that is the Grateful Dead and a bunch of technicolor teddy bears. One of my students from my 3rd grade class (American 9th graders) owns this pencil case. However, she's never heard of the grateful dead and I'm sure she thinks I'm crazy after trying to explain that her pencil case is the namesake of a 70s band.
And that is a sideways book. Well, manga actually. Like a comic book. The title is "Macbeth". So, yes a Shakespearian-inspired comic book. The student who owns this, also from my 3rd grade class, was reading this instead of doing his in-class English work. Oops!!!
There ya go!
Check me out, I'm giving y'all more updates than you can comment on! Def becoming a better blogger
- Love and Miss you!
Steph
Monday, January 31, 2011
It's Official
Really official. Papers for going home were just sent in. Is it weird that I don't know how I feel about it? Ever since I've made the decision to only stay one year I've really been having a great time. I just don't know why I wasn't enjoying it as much before?
Anyways, this past Friday I had my first Japanese lesson. One of the women I teach English to is being kind enough to help me along with Japanese. The lesson is right after school and about an hour and a half. Check out my notes:
Need to designate a notebook for Japanese study.
I've also discovered the library in china, the town next to me, it's way nicer than the library in my town. Going to study there from now on!
On Sunday I helped the women I teach English with the English interviews for their English students. It was a lot of fun, then after us the four of us went out to eat at a restaurant where, very soon, you can see whales from!! How cool!!
Today, I was at an elelmentary school for half the day and at the BOE for the other half. The sea and sky were so pretty that I had to take some pictures!!
This is the view on the other side of the island. Check out those waves!!
This is from a shop right down the road from me. If the trees across from the apartment were shorter then I could see this from my apartment!!
Can you see the boat in the distance?
Better view of the sky!!
So, while I was taking these pictures I was approached by a woman asking me where I was from. Well we were talking and I found out she's from China! So, we're going to meet once a week or so for a language exchange. She'll teach me Chinese and I'll teach her English. But we'll be teaching each other with Japanese as the common language. Psyched about that!! Also, to make this even better, she owns one of the facial salons in the town!
As you can see, it's been really great on the island lately even though it's still cold... Think Ohio fall cold. So, I was sad sending in my papers. Such a difficult decision. I wonder if I'll ever feel completely happy with the decision. But, as much as I've been enjoying the time here lately, I know that teaching is not for me. And I don't think I could just teach for another year.
Luckily, I found an Okinawa-Ohio association in Columbus. How crazy?! I contacted the woman who runs it and they have an Eisa festival in September... That's the dance I'm learning right now. So, I think I'll be able to keep up my japanese and dancing skillz when I get back.
Off to the gym. Which I've been pronouncing as タラソ (ta-ra-so) because that's how you say it in Japanese. But just found out it's originally Greek and pronounced Thalasso... I think. Oh, japan. How you're ruining my English.
- Love and Miss you!
Steph
Anyways, this past Friday I had my first Japanese lesson. One of the women I teach English to is being kind enough to help me along with Japanese. The lesson is right after school and about an hour and a half. Check out my notes:
Need to designate a notebook for Japanese study.
I've also discovered the library in china, the town next to me, it's way nicer than the library in my town. Going to study there from now on!
On Sunday I helped the women I teach English with the English interviews for their English students. It was a lot of fun, then after us the four of us went out to eat at a restaurant where, very soon, you can see whales from!! How cool!!
Today, I was at an elelmentary school for half the day and at the BOE for the other half. The sea and sky were so pretty that I had to take some pictures!!
This is the view on the other side of the island. Check out those waves!!
This is from a shop right down the road from me. If the trees across from the apartment were shorter then I could see this from my apartment!!
Can you see the boat in the distance?
Better view of the sky!!
So, while I was taking these pictures I was approached by a woman asking me where I was from. Well we were talking and I found out she's from China! So, we're going to meet once a week or so for a language exchange. She'll teach me Chinese and I'll teach her English. But we'll be teaching each other with Japanese as the common language. Psyched about that!! Also, to make this even better, she owns one of the facial salons in the town!
As you can see, it's been really great on the island lately even though it's still cold... Think Ohio fall cold. So, I was sad sending in my papers. Such a difficult decision. I wonder if I'll ever feel completely happy with the decision. But, as much as I've been enjoying the time here lately, I know that teaching is not for me. And I don't think I could just teach for another year.
Luckily, I found an Okinawa-Ohio association in Columbus. How crazy?! I contacted the woman who runs it and they have an Eisa festival in September... That's the dance I'm learning right now. So, I think I'll be able to keep up my japanese and dancing skillz when I get back.
Off to the gym. Which I've been pronouncing as タラソ (ta-ra-so) because that's how you say it in Japanese. But just found out it's originally Greek and pronounced Thalasso... I think. Oh, japan. How you're ruining my English.
- Love and Miss you!
Steph
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