Welcome to yet another edition of a crazy American's
life in Japan.Ý Yes, sometimes I do things here that I know wouldn't
exactly be the "in" thing in the States...but it gives me a laugh
and the students wonder what I'm laughing at.Ý Here are a few more
examples of what I mean. ÝÝÝ At my elementary schools (aka shogakko) I
sometimes have a Japanese teacher who can actually speak English.Ý She
prepares all sorts of things and I help her to implement them.Ý One thing
she likes doing is starting the class off by asking each student what his/her
name is while being accompanied by a particular song which is appropriately
titled "Hello, what's your name?"Ý Think about a typical Barney song and
that is what this song's musical level is.Ý Everyone (ideally) starts out
singing, "Hello...Hello...hello...what's your name?Ý Hello...Hello...Hello...(then
a boy student might say) My name is John...My name is John...Hello
John. Hello John. Hello."Ý So pretty easy right?Ý Well silly if you
thought right you haven't been reading my emails...of course it isn't
because this song works for names that have one or two syllables and
sometimes a Japanese name has more than that.Ý Add to this the fact that
I can't really pronounce the names sometimes and no one helps me
to sing this and you have the formula for a disaster.Ý "Hello Musashimakimuro...Hello
Musashi...muro ...nan nan..huh...what was it again?"Ý It's an embarrassing
experience for both the student and me...still I wonder what possesses
this teacher to continue this torturous exercise...could it be....humor?Ý
ÝÝÝ Then came the second part of class...learning occupations.Ý This
is done by holding up a picture of someone in a particular job and
saying the name of the job over and over and over and over again.Ý
Finally when we think the students know some of the names we go through
the cards and I have to yell "What to you want to be?"Ý I began feeling
like a drill sarg and decided to add to my "fun" by trying to sound
as much like one as possible.Ý "What to you want to be?!!!"ÝÝ Students
answer: "A doctor...a doctor!!!"Ý "What do you want to be?!!!"Ý "A
pilot...a pilot!!"Ý With each one we speed up and by the end I'm
saying "What do you want to be" so fast that I doubt even New Yorkers
could understand what I'm saying.Ý ÝÝÝ For the younger students we
do similar things but these things are a little more "interesting".
For this day it was doing the "Hokey Pokey."Ý Of course doing this
song accompanied with the body movements gives me particular license
to act completely insane...something that has become increasing easier
since I've come to Japan.Ý Know the part of put "your whole self
in...whole self out...whole self in and shake it all about?"Ý Well
I don't think any of these students thought a person could have some
many convulsions in such a short period of time...kinda felt like a
dog who shakes after being bathed...but the kids enjoy laughing at/with
me so it's worth it.Ý ÝÝÝ Well that's about it for now.Ý I'm
on my way to the north island Hokkaido for a famous snow festival
which consists of huge ice sculptures...many the size of houses.Ý
So that should be fun.Ý I'll also probably be doing some more snowboarding
or skiing so I'll probably update that upon my return.Ý Ý