(Japanese) Kids say the darndest things....

Hi Everyone!

I've been called out on posting less frequently than Chris - in my defense, teaching 20-24 lessons per week plus doing Japanese homework is exhausting. Still, we started this blog for a reason, so....

Last week was really productive. We finally (after 2 months!) got a recycling bin from the local city hall - we didn't know we could get one there, and only just figured it out last week - so now we're not putting things in the wrong bags or in other neighbors' already full bins. I think the garbage men were starting to hate us, but now we're in the clear.

We also figured out that the internet company we had signed up with had the wrong address for us, but our helpful company coordinator spent over 30 minutes on the phone with them (they don't speak English, of course) and got them to agree to come install it a week from tomorrow. Then she took us over to a Yamada Denki, kind of like a Best Buy, but with a horribly cutesy little jingle that plays over the speakers about every 5 minutes. Anyway, she translated for us as we shopped for phone plans, and after a few hours (!) we went home with fancy new cell phones. Mine has a news ticker constantly running across the screen. Not that it's in English, however. But at least we can now call each other, or our company if something happens.

Another ALT moved into our apartment building last week, right next door to us. He's from PA, very nice, and teaches at more elementary schools than me - 10 compared to my 8! He arrived in Japan last Tuesday, and started teaching Monday of this week. He's also never taught before. So, Chris and I have been showing him around and going over lesson plans with him. It's nice to have someone else to talk to and hang out with. Obviously Chris and I love each other, but another English speaking pal is welcome!

School has been going by more quickly lately, as I get to know the kids better and develop a rapport with them. I'm learning more Japanese, and they're learning more English, so there's more of a mutually understood kind of shorthand when I'm explaining games and activities. I usually like the outgoing kids best, because they're the most creative and motivated communicators. There's a 6th grade class I see every Wednesday that I just love - it's a really small group, but they seem to try harder to talk to me, and tease me a lot. One of the girls there is called "The Comedian"; she is always joking, and using funny voices in English. A male classmate of hers is probably my favorite. Chris and I saw him playing baseball at a park during Golden Week, and when he realized Chris was my "boyfriendo" he discovered a whole uncharted territory for teasing me. I call him "Ichiro" because he's so into baseball, but the other day after he said something impressive in English class, he said I shouldn't call him Ichiro anymore. I should call him "God". Or "Baseball God", if I preferred ;)

I also get girls randomly coming up to me from behind to run their hands through my "pretty hair", and commenting on my blue eyes and "you have color contacto?" Almost every day I have some great comment to pass on to Chris. He gets even more interesting comments from his junior high students, but I'll let him post about those.

That's about it. Here are the few pictures we took in Tokyo (more next time we go, I promise), and one of a Gokiburi (cockroach) that we found in our bedroom a few weeks ago. It was huge! (Chris doesn't agree) The minute I saw it scurrying towards me, I jumped up shrieking like a poisonous snake was about to attack. Obviously, cockroaches aren't a serious physical threat.....but what can I say, I'm from the Pacific Northwest and we just don't see those kinds of things.

As I say to each class at the end of the lesson, Goodbye Everyone! See You!