Today I had my last lessons with my two classes of 3rd year students at Hosshoji (the equivalent of 9th graders in 'merica) and it was saaaad. I actually choked up and cried in the first one, because they gave me a gift and I wasn't expecting it. I held it together for the second class.
Oh, the 'gift' was a little book of things they wrote about me. Some gems:
"I think Ms. Jessy's voice is very beautiful. I don't like English because it is very difficult for me to study it. But your English class was very happy for me. Thank you." (This guy is one of the 'class clown' types, always made me smile.)
"I think your smile is very cute!! I want to speak with Jessy sensei motto(more)"
"I was glad to talk with Jessy sensei. Thanks to you, I came to love English. You are very kind to us. I think you are nice and a good teacher. I want to be like you. I had a nice time with you. Thank you very much." (From one of my speech competition kids. A great girl. Tears in my eyes when I first read that, for sure.)
"I meet Jessy sensei when I go to school. Then, I said "Good Morning!" to Jessy sensei. Jessy sensei said "Good Monring!" to me. I'm very happy. I like your smile."
"Thank you! Jessy sensei. I hope we meet again soon. I don't want to say goodbye."
"Thank you for Ms. Jessy. I enjoyed English class. I talked to you but I can't speak English well. Sorry..!!" (this girl is adorable.)
"I live in Hosshoji. You live in Hosshoji. I live near your house. English class is a lot of fun. I enjoyed speaking, reading a lot. I want to talk with you more!! If your free let's talk with me in English." (awww...mini stalker! :D )
"I'm very very happy to study English with you. Thank you for your class. Studying English became very fun. I will remember you. Please don't forget me." (This kid is so great...he's the son of the science teacher at my other school. I love my motivated smart kids, probably most of all.)
"We studied English with you. It was a lot of fun and interesting for me. I sometimes talked to you in English. But we couldn't sometimes change words well. But I like talking with you! And you are very cute. I'll never forget you." (My other speech competition girl. This girl has been so wonderful to me. She came and grabbed me and taught me the Sports Festival dance way back in September when I was brand new to Japan and didn't have a clue what to do at school. Love this kid.)
"She speaks Japanese very good." (haha...the secret that couldn't be kept!)
sniff...sniff.
One more totally unrelated thing: I don't like purple rice. Or purple pickles. The only purple things I will happily eat are grapes, and that's not the same kind of purple!
Friday, January 30
Wednesday, January 28
9 down, a billion to go.
I've been snowboarding 9 times this season. NINE. And would you believe that I'm angry at the weather this weekend? It's supposed to rain. I may not be able to go for the 10th time this season...I might have to wait til next weekend! NEXT WEEKEND people.
Honestly, it's probably better for me. I've been since last Wednesday. It's one of those low-grade illnesses that just threatens you with coughing and doesn't really put you out of business. Among my activities this weekend, I slept for 11 hours on Sunday night. It was bliss.
People around here are dropping like flies from the flu. I've personally never had the flu...but all the flu that's spreading around makes me wish I had decided to get a flu shot. I've never bothered to get a flu shot, mostly because I think I'm superwoman and don't get sick like that.
In my illness, I've started watching the series Battlestar Galactica. *first-year-Japanese-student voice* Eetsu Beery Eenturesutingu! (figure that one out)
I haven't been posting much because life is a little lame-o other than snowboarding, and I don't know that anyone wants me to write another 10 paragraph ode to the snowy mountain.
Honestly, it's probably better for me. I've been since last Wednesday. It's one of those low-grade illnesses that just threatens you with coughing and doesn't really put you out of business. Among my activities this weekend, I slept for 11 hours on Sunday night. It was bliss.
People around here are dropping like flies from the flu. I've personally never had the flu...but all the flu that's spreading around makes me wish I had decided to get a flu shot. I've never bothered to get a flu shot, mostly because I think I'm superwoman and don't get sick like that.
In my illness, I've started watching the series Battlestar Galactica. *first-year-Japanese-student voice* Eetsu Beery Eenturesutingu! (figure that one out)
I haven't been posting much because life is a little lame-o other than snowboarding, and I don't know that anyone wants me to write another 10 paragraph ode to the snowy mountain.
Wednesday, January 21
Of all the eye care specialists in Japan...
Yesterday I undertook what I thought would be a herculean task: procuring new contacts for myself. Along the way what I got was an easy ride and good feelings about Japanese service and people.
After hammering out where I COULD go for new contacts with my supervisor (a number of emails tossed back and forth in Japanese), I located a place ('Heart Up') that was open after work and went. Once I got there, I was helped out I found out that I had to go somewhere else for the 'description' (the one mistake in this girl's beautiful English. Even though I was able to communicate what I needed fine in Japanese...she had such great English that we ended up talking in English.)
Which let me to Sako Eye Clinic. OH MY. I was floored. The techs spoke Japanese, which was cool, because any chance to practice my Japanese is great with me. (accompanied by the typical gasps of 'wowow, you can write your address in JAPANESE!) But, then, I had my check-up with the doctor. He starts right out in English. He tells me his daughter is a student at a university in San Francisco, and explains to me about my prescription and everything. Then, we talk about American television. He loves the show LOST. Is it popular in the US? How about 24?
Of all the eye clinics in YONAGO, which is a tiny city with a low foreign population, I happen on the guy who is functionally fluent! It was a great surprise.
Back over to Heart-Up to order my contacts. They didn't have them at the store, which was no surprise (I've always had to order them in the US as well) The guy who handled my order spoke no English to me...just rapid fire super-polite Japanese sales spiel. However, I understood the gist of it. Which is all you really need to understand when it comes to sales spiels, no matter what language they are in.
I think I'll be getting some glasses there too. I owned up to my wonky ears and said to the guy 'My ears are at a different heights so my glasses fit crooked!' and he said that they could adjust my glasses to compensate! Yay!
Weird thing that doesn't make much sense: My prescription is valid for 1 month. However, at Heart-Up, I applied for an 'eye data' card and can order contacts for my prescription for the next 2 years....HUH?
After hammering out where I COULD go for new contacts with my supervisor (a number of emails tossed back and forth in Japanese), I located a place ('Heart Up') that was open after work and went. Once I got there, I was helped out I found out that I had to go somewhere else for the 'description' (the one mistake in this girl's beautiful English. Even though I was able to communicate what I needed fine in Japanese...she had such great English that we ended up talking in English.)
Which let me to Sako Eye Clinic. OH MY. I was floored. The techs spoke Japanese, which was cool, because any chance to practice my Japanese is great with me. (accompanied by the typical gasps of 'wowow, you can write your address in JAPANESE!) But, then, I had my check-up with the doctor. He starts right out in English. He tells me his daughter is a student at a university in San Francisco, and explains to me about my prescription and everything. Then, we talk about American television. He loves the show LOST. Is it popular in the US? How about 24?
Of all the eye clinics in YONAGO, which is a tiny city with a low foreign population, I happen on the guy who is functionally fluent! It was a great surprise.
Back over to Heart-Up to order my contacts. They didn't have them at the store, which was no surprise (I've always had to order them in the US as well) The guy who handled my order spoke no English to me...just rapid fire super-polite Japanese sales spiel. However, I understood the gist of it. Which is all you really need to understand when it comes to sales spiels, no matter what language they are in.
I think I'll be getting some glasses there too. I owned up to my wonky ears and said to the guy 'My ears are at a different heights so my glasses fit crooked!' and he said that they could adjust my glasses to compensate! Yay!
Weird thing that doesn't make much sense: My prescription is valid for 1 month. However, at Heart-Up, I applied for an 'eye data' card and can order contacts for my prescription for the next 2 years....HUH?
Sunday, January 18
I was gonna get a used board...
...but then I went and bought a bunch of nice brand new stuff.
Any money I would have saved this month has been spent on snowboarding.
Tuesday, January 13
Jessica comes to Japan, brings New York snow with her
Today we've got over a foot in accumulated snow and it is AWESOME. I walked to school in it, which was just like old times at college and AWESOME. Came to school and there were cars stuck in it every which way.
I had kinda wanted to drive here, but I don't have a snow shovel and my car was totally buried in it. Also, I would have also gotten stuck in the mess up at school so all things considered it's better I chose to walk, even if I did get temporarily lost going all googly-eyed at the winter wonderland.
The principal came over and told me this was the biggest snow in recent years. I then told him it was pretty much 'normal' for New York, with snow like this happening a few times a year, and worse snow happening a couple. I told him it make me nostalgic, and he laughed.
It's not to cold, only a right at freezing, and the perfect temperature for enjoyable snow shovelling. Here's hoping I can get that activity, since otherwise I'll be sitting here at my desk while the kids do tests all day.
Happy winter, ya'll!
I had kinda wanted to drive here, but I don't have a snow shovel and my car was totally buried in it. Also, I would have also gotten stuck in the mess up at school so all things considered it's better I chose to walk, even if I did get temporarily lost going all googly-eyed at the winter wonderland.
The principal came over and told me this was the biggest snow in recent years. I then told him it was pretty much 'normal' for New York, with snow like this happening a few times a year, and worse snow happening a couple. I told him it make me nostalgic, and he laughed.
It's not to cold, only a right at freezing, and the perfect temperature for enjoyable snow shovelling. Here's hoping I can get that activity, since otherwise I'll be sitting here at my desk while the kids do tests all day.
Happy winter, ya'll!
Sunday, January 11
It just takes a little courage
I'm starting to get a hang of this whole snowboarding thing. I had a great day out on the mountain yesterday. Granted, the weather could have been a lot better. When I wasn't drowning in the loose powder of a less-traveled course, I was being pelted in the face with flecks of snow.
But along the way I learned how to turn. It came down to not someone teaching me, but to me being ready and having the little bit of courage it takes.
In snowboarding you have two "sides" of your board, the heel side and the toe side. When I started, I learned how to slide down the hill on my heel side. From there, it was drifting on my heel side back and forth and down the mountain. With heelside, you lean back. So once I got that down, people tried to teach me to do toe side. It wouldn't happen. I was terrified of falling on my face. I DID fall on my face.
But yesterday, while my friends were off on other courses, it was just me and the mountain. And we made it work. Forgetting the fear of falling, the fear of inadequacy, I did it. I made my first toe side turns, and then going in little circles down the hill. It's not really a trick...but in my mind...it kinda is a trick.
Snowboarding is a lot more fun if you think you're doing tricks!
But along the way I learned how to turn. It came down to not someone teaching me, but to me being ready and having the little bit of courage it takes.
In snowboarding you have two "sides" of your board, the heel side and the toe side. When I started, I learned how to slide down the hill on my heel side. From there, it was drifting on my heel side back and forth and down the mountain. With heelside, you lean back. So once I got that down, people tried to teach me to do toe side. It wouldn't happen. I was terrified of falling on my face. I DID fall on my face.
But yesterday, while my friends were off on other courses, it was just me and the mountain. And we made it work. Forgetting the fear of falling, the fear of inadequacy, I did it. I made my first toe side turns, and then going in little circles down the hill. It's not really a trick...but in my mind...it kinda is a trick.
Snowboarding is a lot more fun if you think you're doing tricks!
Monday, January 5
In between posts...
I haven't written since my first snowboarding adventure, but trust me, I've had plenty to do, with it being a holiday and all...among my activities:
-Teaching a fellow 'merican to crochet!
-Snowboarding - two days, the 3rd and 4th, and I was attacking moguls and going proper way first on the board and getting speedy and then controlling speed. No terrible falls this time, which is probably why I managed two days of it.
-HAPPY NEW YEAR! party in Yonago with Keiko and the gang. Through my elite Japanese skill set I managed to meet and hold conversations with numerous people, and got a new friend out of it.
-Watched TV in Japanese with Japanese people. This is the only way I can stand watching Japanese TV, because so much of it escapes me, but with a Japanese person there I can ask questions when I have them. Also, Japanese commercials are some of the most amusing in the world. (Livin-GUUU)
-Reconnected with the local foreign crowd, and the prefectural one. This was nice, because while I love my Japanese friends, it's not like they want to hang out with me every day and I also enjoy just speaking in English to people who understand me without any difficulty.
-DIDN'T travel at all and feel happier for it. I feel like if I had left, I would have only missed on a bunch of opportunities.
So, how about you? Good holiday?
-Teaching a fellow 'merican to crochet!
-Snowboarding - two days, the 3rd and 4th, and I was attacking moguls and going proper way first on the board and getting speedy and then controlling speed. No terrible falls this time, which is probably why I managed two days of it.
-HAPPY NEW YEAR! party in Yonago with Keiko and the gang. Through my elite Japanese skill set I managed to meet and hold conversations with numerous people, and got a new friend out of it.
-Watched TV in Japanese with Japanese people. This is the only way I can stand watching Japanese TV, because so much of it escapes me, but with a Japanese person there I can ask questions when I have them. Also, Japanese commercials are some of the most amusing in the world. (Livin-GUUU)
-Reconnected with the local foreign crowd, and the prefectural one. This was nice, because while I love my Japanese friends, it's not like they want to hang out with me every day and I also enjoy just speaking in English to people who understand me without any difficulty.
-DIDN'T travel at all and feel happier for it. I feel like if I had left, I would have only missed on a bunch of opportunities.
So, how about you? Good holiday?
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