I'm having a hard time keeping busy at work...

Nothing much has happened since monday, but I'm back at my main school even though there's no English classes on Wednesdays. I basically spend days like this online or napping in the special "break room" which is decently swank.

Funny story from yesterday: I tried to teach action verbs to the 2nd and 3rd graders at one of my schools, a supposedly innocuous task. I was having them do the action and chant the verb, ("Jump! Jump! Jump! Wave! Wave! Wave!") which turned a little awkward when we got to "Clap!" Like most Japanese, these poor kids cannot pronounce "l" so they replace it with the closest thing in their own language: "r".

Which means I had 8 2nd & 3rd graders yelling "CRAP! CRAP! CRAP!" at the top of their lungs.

So, after a few beatles duets I returned home and eventually went out to dinner with a few other people. I work with one of the other ALT's girlfriends and we've hung out some over the past month. I asked her if it was ok if I called her by her first name at work, since we were friends but she replied that although she doesn't care, such informality would irk the other teachers. At work, then, she is also sensei.

We were also talking about different Japanese and American customs and went over gestures, including:

Daijyobu! I'm okay! [Using wrist motion only, wave your hand in front of your face]

Iie! No! [make a big, adamant X with your arms. This may make sense already, but try using it in conversation and you'll see how awkward it is]

Koko ni kitte! Come here! [same as the American motion for "shoo!" which is very confusing]

Watashi Me/I [point a single finger at your nose, not your chest]

We taught them "knock on wood" and other such things... and also explained that the Japanese style of pointing looks suspiciously like giving the finger.

An aside about special education in Japan

This is from an email I wrote to my mother this morning, but is sufficiently interesting to be posted here...

"They have a special classroom specifically for the special ed children. It's a bit like the U.S. where they are sometimes shuffled in and out of classes. The other kids are actually very supportive: they'll play with and support the special ed kids.

For instance, I was once playing soccer with a couple of children at recess, one of whom had severe Down's Syndrome. This particular child muttered something and walk away a bit and sat down, obviously upset. The game immediately stopped, and one of the girls picked up the soccer ball and brought it over to him. He hugged the ball for a bit, and gave it back when asked. For the rest of the game, the children would pre-emptorily bring the ball over to this boy at regular intervals to placate him.

I also heard this story in training: an ALT in the midst of class noticed that one student was getting extremely tense and upset. This boy began shaking, clenching fists, grimacing, etc. Quickly, the student sitting behind this child leaned over his desk to whisper something in the upset student's ear. Immediately the boy relaxed. Later in the lesson, however, the student began shaking and grimacing again. This time the young girl sitting next to him stood up, walked behind the upset one, and placed her hands over his eyes. Again, he calmed down immediately...

That's the way it is here... the Japanese really take care of their own within their small group units. The sense of community is so strong that individuals within a group most subordinate itself to the least able person in the group. The special ed children are treated exceptionally well by the vast majority of the other children."

peace.