aide | One Week Down...

Only ten more to go! No, I'm not starting a countdown til the end of school, like I would be if I was a student. It feels like I've been back at work for more than week, after doing three days of elementary lessons back to back. Next week is going to be even worse: Monday's a holiday (Coming of Age Day), and then four days. It's been kind of nice, because when I'm done teaching, they let me go home even if it's not the end of the school day. Tuesday will be a little bit of a respite, only four lessons, but the rest of the week is packed. Why they wanted to cram all the English lessons in right at the beginning of term is beyond me. It's exhausting. Yvonne said that all her schools are requesting their "internationalization visit" all at once too so she's in a similar boat to mine. It makes me feel like I'm actually working though. Like I'm a real teacher. Or one with some power at least, instead of just being a human CD.

I've got to teach grade one, three, five and six next week. They requested "eikaiwa" (English conversation). I don't know what kind of eikaiwa I can teach to kids in thirty minutes (after rambling about Canada for fifteen). I've decided I'm going to give the kids an opportunity to practice what they already know, rather than try and cram new info into their heads. It's worked well so far. And teach them games I played in school. The one time I played Duck, Duck, Goose was the most sucessful, rather than trying to explain and get them to play Heads Down, Seven Up. They have fun anyway. This week has been a bit weird because I think the school was having an Open House where parents could come watch their kids in class. My classes always seemed to have half a dozen or more parents. The kids totally ignored their parents, which could be more due to the militaristic nature of the Japanese school system rather than the kids themselves, except for when a younger sibling got lose and made their way to the front of the classroom. Japanese kids are so cute! But I guess I'm a bit of a novelty since the kids get one English lesson a term. So its definitely more like "fun time" than anything else.

Other than that... I've been a complete lump. It's a combo of talking/standing all day and being on display at school and the homo milk that is served with lunch everyday. And they give me so much to eat (やっぱり外国人。。。) that I feel sluggish. The same goes for the kids. But at least they go out and run around for twenty minutes. I went shopping yesterday because Takashimaya Station Mall is having a big Six Day Sale so I went to check it out. My brown sweater is starting to eat it, so I was looking for a replacement but no luck. Also found some gloves that I've been looking for and got a sketch book. I need to start drawing again, more regularly, I've decided. Why? I used to be good. Or other people thought I was though. I wonder how my life would be different if I had chosen to go to art school instead of UBC and continued with more dedication at the one thing I was good at. Also, one of the members of my favourite Japanese band, Arashi, is having an art exhibition next month (they're also releasing a new single the day after my birthday~) and he's actually really good. I'm going to make a point of going down to check it out.

I should go out to the recycle shop today as well and see about getting a full-size table. I can't stand my legs going numb and having my hips pop all the time. It can't be good for me. Have you ever lost feeling in your thigh? It's awkward and weird. The last time I was there, they had tables for 3000yen (~$28) but I don't know about delivery. They must do, because there were items with "sold" stickers on them sitting in the shop.