Graduation (and the other 2 ceremonies from that day)

(now that I have a computer and a lot of free time...here come the posts! Pardon any random typos... I tried to proofread and edit, but sometimes I miss things. I have a Japanese computer at school and the keys are in slightly different positions, and it keeps throwing me off. Also it keeps switching into Japanese on me for some reason!)

first, graduation! My third years graduated from junior high school on March 18th. It was a very interesting ceremony. I do not remember my middle school graduation at all, so it was probably not very big or important. However, the ones here are insane. Apparently they do similar ceremonies for elementary school and high school, so they are all taken seriously. I just remember a party after 6th grade and absolutely nothing from middle school.

Anyway, during school, the younger students did a small ceremony for their "sempai" (meaning their olders in school) and it was cute and involved skits and slideshows and songs. It was relaxed and enjoyable, which is good because the real graduation was very stiff. They practiced for it twice (especially receiving diplomas: right hand, left hand, bow to the Principal, take a step to the left, bow again, close your diploma carefully, tuck it under your left arm, turn to your right, bow again, return to your seat) and thus the actual ceremony went without a hitch.

I guess, the ceremony was what you would expect. Speakers from the Board of Education, the Principal and Vice Principal gave speeches, the graduating class had a rep give a speech, the non-graduating students had a rep give a speech, the PTA talked, etc etc etc, plus the graduating class sang a song, the other kids sang a song, and everyone sang the school song! (everyone but me, that is... I only know the first line) I was just shocked by the fact that such a serious ceremony happens　for middle school. I suppose, since the students are not required to go to high school (and a lot of them choose not to, or do not pass the entrance exams, which are hard) that it is nice to celebrate their graduation. Also, middle school here is 3 years, not just 2, so that extra year is, well, another year! In my case, during middle school, there was no real attachment. As a 7th grader, its the first year, everything is scary, you are getting used to it, and then as an 8th grader, that`s the end, next year is high school, so school events do not matter. There is no reason to become attached to middle school. Plus, those two years are the worst in a teenagers life, as far as ages go. It`s all awkward and puberty-ey, boys start to smell, girls start to really be interested in boys and vice versa, we receive real grades for the first time in some classes, and all those annoying things happen. (If you enjoyed middle school, props to you, I am just sharing my opinion)

Alright, so after graduation, we had another ceremony! this one was the announcement of which teachers got moved to another school and which did not. Lots of tears. More tears than the graduation caused. Some of these kids are seriously attached to the teachers and so were just balling when they found out which teachers were being moved. It was very strange. The had the transferring teachers line up and everyone went on stage and the Principal announced where they are going and how long they have been at sanchu, what they teach, etc. I am sad because my awesome kyoto sensei got moved to a school in Ueda. That means he is no longer my neighbor, either, so as of this weekend, there is a new person living next door, but I have yet to meet him/her.

The third ceremony (and last) of the day was the closing ceremony. After this, all the students were allowed to go home and the teachers stuck around. And now, I will rant about the fact that teachers here DO NOT GET SPRING BREAK! The students have about 2 weeks off and the teachers come to school anyway! I understand needing a couple of days to prep things (and in this case, we did move buildings so that took time and we are not set up in the new school at all yet) but generally speaking, it would just be sitting around with nothing to do. Ridiculous! I could take days off, using my paid vacation, but I guess I have a very American attitude and I think that we (the teachers) should just have built in days for break besides national holidays.

Hmm... this entry was perhaps not as interesting as I intended and had more of me ranting about middle school and lack of break. alas.

Next: teacher`s trip to the OCEAN! (including my onsen debut)

After that: notes about how much of a pain it is to move school buildings

After that: you will just have to check back and see!

Spring? I don't think so!!!

A video from today. (Again, feel free to ignore my talking by turning your volume down...it's lame commentary.)


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Also, apologies for the delay between posts. I promise other updates are coming soon. I have no computer at school at the moment, which is when I usually do blog posts, but I think tomorrow or Wednesday I will get a work computer (a Japanese one) from the school that I can use while I am there

"1 sometime, 2 sometimes, right?"

One more random funny story about how English is ridiculous.  In one of my 3nensei classes, we were having a word test, where I read out words and they have to write them in English and then write the Japanese equivalent. 

The JTE gave me the sheet with the words and I read it.  So one of the words I was supposed to read out was 'sometimes.'  Let me point out now that in Japanese, 'sometimes' is 'tokidoki' and 'sometime_'  is 'itsuka'  Two different words with different meanings, right?  In English, too, the meaning is different, even if the words are almost the same.  As a matter of fact, even the JTE was confused because on the sheet she gave me, she had written 'sometime (tokidoki.)'  Based on the 'tokidoki' I assumed she meant 'sometimes' so that is what I said.  Anyway, 'sometime' and 'sometimes' caused a great deal of confusion on that word test as students wrote all possible combinations of 'sometime' 'sometimes' 'tokidoki' and 'itsuka.'  And when I wrote the correct answer 'sometimeS' and the JTE said 'tokidoki,' and said that 'sometime' was wrong unless they had 'itsuka' written as the meaning, they were like "EEEEEEEHH?  NANDE? (why) 1 apple, 2 apples,  1 sometime,  2 sometimes, right? Aren't they the same?" 

Paper dolls and 2nd year boys

[Some complaints that I don't blog enough have made it all the way to me in Japan, so here is one to tide you over until I actually have something to write about. warning, this is not that interesting, but might be funny for some. I dunno...it was certainly an enjoyable class for me]

What happens when you give 2nd year students paper dolls? You learn a lot of things about the class! For example, you learn that some boys like clothes and dressing dolls up just as much as girls. You also learn that every class has a thief or two.

Let's go back about 48 hours hours for a moment. I was asked on Monday to come up with an activity to help the 2nd years practice the shopping conversation on Wednesday. The "shopping conversation" is just what you'd expect. Going into a store and asking for a specific item in a certain color or size; asking to try it on; asking the price, etc. So I thought about it, and I ended up making sets of paper dolls! Each group got a doll and they had to follow the shopping list I provided and "buy" clothes for their doll from either me or the JTE. The catch was that sometimes the clothes we showed them were too big or too small, so they would have to ask to tr it on and then say "do you have a bigger/smaller one." Also, sometimes we would say an absolutely ridiculous price for an item, like a hat costing $5,000, so they would have to ask for a cheaper one.

I went to class feeling a little nervous with two possible scenarios running through my head: 1) everyone would be sitting there thinking "does she think we are elementary school children? This is B-ORING!" or 2) the girls would have a blast dressing up the dolls and the boys would be thinking something along the lines of "wtf is this?"

I did not anticipate that things would turn out how they did. In actuality, everyone seemed to have fun, but the boys especially! The groups divided up who would come and do the "shopping" and just sort of went for it. Of course, the JTE and I had a good time giving them a hard time with sizes and prices, so I think it was really fun all around!!

Some memorable moments from class:
(As you read, keep in mind that they speak with accents, so it's not as perfect as written... they are really good though)

A group of boys comes up to me and they need to buy a skirt.
I say, "May I help you?"
Student, "No, I'm just looking."
(he sorts through the paper clothes on my desk and picks up a skirt. Then he walks away with said skirt!)
Me " DOROBOU!" (meaning, THIEF!)
Another student says to the one with the skirt "Nigete, hayaku!" (meaning, run away, fast!)
~~~
Different group of boys comes up to me and they need a hat.
Me "May I help you?"
Student "I'm looking for a black hat."
Me "How about this one?"
Student "It's nice. How much is it?"
Me "It's $6,500."
Student "That's too expensive! Do you have a cheaper one?"
Me "No. Sorry! But I'm in a good mood today, so it's $5.00"
Student " OH discount! I'll take it!"
~~~~
Later, with the same students who got the black hat, this time they need a jacket
Student "How much is it?"
Me "It's $10,000."
Student "Do you have a cheaper one?"
Me "No, sorry!"
Student "Discount? Good mood?"
Me "No, sorry."
Different student in group "It's ok. I have much money. I'll take it."


Alright, so ends this potentially boring or potentially interesting blog entry. Posts to possibly look forward to (if I'm not too lazy): graduation, teacher trip, and Japanese driver's test.