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Wheeee... aiiieee!... pthth... ohhhJanuary 2002
Hi folks,
My Japanese Teacher of English told me just the other day that, "after five, you are the man." That particular evening's plans fell in a heap thereafter, but I was encouraged to know that it was obvious I was keeping busy beyond work at school. I guess I have been busy this month, mostly with rehearsals for our upcoming JET musical, but he didn't say anything about my activity before five... :)
Just last Thursday, I went skiing with my shoogaku students, my first time ever! You can find a sample of the exclamations I made on my way down the slope in this email's title. It was cold, wet and painful, but ultimately quite a buzz. 'Mata ikitai yo' - I want to go again! - and indeed, it just happens that another of my shoogaku schools will be going on Valentine's Day. I'll tag along in the name of internationalisation and English education, and maybe there'll be a cute Japanese snowboarder or two on the slopes who can give me a few tips. If only I can stay upright long enough to have a conversation. :)
The Thursday before that was interesting, too. I have been team teaching an eikaiwa class every Thursday evening with a friend up the valley since October. Eikaiwa is basically a public English class - I don't yet have one of my own here in Nishiiya, but most JETs do a couple per week. Helping out in Mikamo gave me a chance to get out, do some teaching and enjoy some friendly local company. We had a break from eikaiwa over the New Year, during which the other teacher went home to England to see her family and celebrate her birthday. Thus, for the first lesson back, I had a nice opportunity to spring a surprise party. Between talking, eating and drinking, we played a few English games and even managed to get everyone up for a bit of bush dancing. All in good fun, and everyone had a pleasant night.
Of course, it was Australia Day just last Saturday. Having musical rehearsals every weekend until the end of February, all I could do to mark the day itself was play bush music in my car, sing the national anthem as I sat at a traffic light, and raise a toast to the country later that night over dinner. In fact, that particular toast was to convicts and poets, because the previous day is marked as Burns Supper by Scots, in celebration of the life of Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns. But I have nevertheless put our day of national identity crisis to good use by spending this month teaching my elementary school children how to bush dance and play cricket. Said one of my first graders at the conclusion of the heel-and-toe polka last week, "No more dancing!" I don't think he likes holding hands with the girls. Oh well, at least he said it in English. :)
The highlight of my time teaching at shoogakus came two Mondays past at Awashi, my smallest school. I had just finished the bush dancing class and was strolling back to the staff room to get ready for the next session in the classroom. The kindergarten children had joined us for dancing and were making their own joyfully noisy way back to the playroom. At the back of this gaggle of genki little Japanese kids, I spied the smallest boy and girl with their arms around each other's backs. Thinking, "Aw, isn't that cute!" but otherwise presuming there was nothing in it, they promptly made my jaw drop, heart melt and eyes pop out all at once by turning to each other for a quick smooch! I couldn't believe it! These kids are barely taller than my knee - kawaiiiiiii! Talk about Kodak moments. I'm going to stalk those kids with a camera next time. :)
We're on a hectic schedule for the musical with only 23 days to go until we hit the stage (but who's counting? :>). Everyone is getting stuck into their roles, the technical crew is pulling it together off the stage, and donations are coming in to cover our costs. My role as the Robot in our adaptation of the Wizard of Oz isn't too hard, involving a bit of a solo at the start of Act 2 (a song, that is), falling in love with Dorothy, and saving her from the Witch in the final scene just prior to our big dancing finale. The finale just happens to be a swing routine, which has been the part I've really been working on. It's been a bit of a crash course, but the rest of the cast are picking up the moves quite well. We're bound to be entertaining, if not quite professional, but that's all we're aiming for. It should certainly be fun. I'll send a video home if I don't look too bad. :)
Despite having a schedule full of new adventures, this January I've actually managed to miss out on something. For the first time in a long time, I had absolutely nothing to do with the Siemens Science Experience held at universities around Brisbane. I spared a thought or two for the great people I wouldn't get to meet, for the old friends going back for another round of science school madness, and especially for Montse, who had to run the whole show. I have heard that it was a top week, as I was sure it would be, and I am realising that if I stay in Japan for another two years, by the time I return to Australia I will be too old to participate. Therefore, do I miss all that?
Part of me misses it, in a warm and fuzzy "those were the days" sort of way. But one door closes and another opens, and I am glad to also realise that I have stepped fully over that threshold into a new adventure. I think that's why I came to Japan - not to get away from anything, but to find something. I'm almost up to six months in the land of the rising sun, and though I can't tell you what it is I'm looking for, I feel like I'm hot on the trail and having a good time hunting. I can't ask for much more.
Lots of love,
Dave