First Week at School

                         Post XII 

Wow it’s been a while since I managed to sit down and actually write a post. I have lacked motivation actually because my internet has run out, so I knew I would have to type it up in MS word, take it to school and then upload it – which all seemed like a bit of a faff. But, it has been an interesting week and I finally have some time so I thought its worth sitting down and typing away. 

This week has been my first week of teaching. First thing Monday morning; kindergarten. From 2 years old to 5 years old. So damn cute! But fuck do these kids have energy! Also, none of the kindergarten teachers speak English so I had to completely wing it – which seemed to go ok. They can’t get enough of high fives, they will literally do it until they are told to stop. I also experienced the two extremes of affection. One kid just continually hugged me, another, too shy to give me a high five, instead punched me as hard as she could in my stomach. Fortunately she was 4 so it didn’t hurt, and it seemed to release her fear-of-foreigner tension, because after that she was quite happy to high five like all the other kids. As soon as it began, so it was over. I was back behind a desk at Junior high. Then all of a sudden, and Amazon delivery man appeared at the school asking for me. I signed and paid for my parcel (in Japan paying online for things doesn’t really happen, so Amazon offer a ‘cash on delivery’ option). Now, I had not put the schools address anywhere on my Amazon page. This delivery guy must have gone to my house, realised I wasn’t in, and then asked people where I would be, before tracking me down and making sure I got my parcel. In the UK, Amazon sometimes leave a ‘sorry we missed you’ not when you are in the fucking house!! I don’t know why I was so surprised, it’s not so hard to track down a foreign person living on a tiny island, but still – it was cool. 

I then met all the other kids, and I could go on and on with little stories about them but it would maybe get repetitive for you. Basically there is a wide mix of them, but they are all really cute and interesting! School lunch, however, has been the most difficult thing to understand. I have mucked it up 5 days in a row now. Firstly, all the kids eat in the classroom together, and all help to dish up the food. The food itself has been hit and miss. Well, it has always been prepaired well, but sometimes I have had to force down food that I would not usually eat. Ever. Like fried small whole fish and egg soup – that meal really was a struggle! But, if I made it through that alive, it can’t get any worse (it bloody better not anyway). Once they finish, this hilarious song comes on and all the kids brush their teeth. It really is quite a spectacle and I spend the entire 3 minutes trying to hold in my laughter. I have to look away because if I watch them for too long I just can’t help but laugh – it’s just so surreal! 

Then, we all go outside and I play a mixture of football with the older kids (who can talk to me), and them some game that I don’t really understand with the younger kids where I think basically I am some sort of monster they have to catch. So that just consists in me running away from a hoard of kids for 20 mins in the 30 degree mid-day sun! So as you can imagine it’s pretty tiring! All of this tom-foolery is over by half 1 and then it’s back to class – drenched in sweat and bright red (not a good look). I tend to recover about halfway through the class, get some energy back and continue to goof around and generally try to keep the kids engaged. Meetings and various other things keep me occupied till around 6, and then, after my 11 hour day, I come home and have a cold beer. Very tiring work, but already very rewarding and fun even though the kids barely know me! I look forward to more if I can maintain my energy levels….