Arigato and Sayonara: Students

In March, English classes began to dwindle as the teachers used that time to practice for the kindergarten and 6th grade graduation. Although, only two classes were graduating, the other grades were involved in the ceremony’s preparation and performances. I welcomed the break from teaching, but I couldn’t help but feel a little sad when I realized I would no longer see my 6th graders. That feeling did not extend to my Satan 6th graders, as I counted the days to the final English class, only for it to be canceled. Thank you Japanese Jesus!

At the other schools, the homeroom teachers ran out of ideas and relied on me to plan the lesson. In elementary schools, it’s not encouraged for the students to learn how to write English, since they are taught in middle school. However, I decided to chuck the rules out of the window and have the students write compliments to one another. I taught them the basic 'You are' and added adjectives such as 'funny, beautiful, handsome, smart, nice, cool, etc.' Then, they would write their names on a blank sheet of paper and pass it to their neighbor. Their neighbor would see the name and write 'You are (insert compliment)' with the explanation in Japanese. The exercise went well and they were really excited about the compliments they received. Surprisingly, a few got daring and wrote “you are handsome/beautiful” to their crush. For the next lesson, I taught them how to insult each other. It sounds foul, but the insults were used to create a 'cootie catcher' or 'paper fortune teller' where fate would either give you a compliment or an insult. It was all in good fun and no feelings were hurt.

Cootie Cather! Will you get a compliment or an insult? Let fate decide!

Never underestimate the power of Pokemon for youe English lessons!

The day before the graduation, my favorite 6th grade class called me outside and thanked me for teaching English. Moreover, they sang a traditional farewell song and posed for a picture.

I'll miss them!

 Graduation day for all three of my schools fell on a Thursday, which meant that I would be forced to watch my Satan 6th graders graduate. Thinking ahead, I used polite Japanese to ask my coordinator if I could visit all three graduations. I would spend half an hour at each starting at Satan school, and quietly excuse myself to visit the other two.

My coordinator thought it was a wonderful idea and granted me permission.  Thank you once again Japanese Jesus!

Elementary graduation is not very different form our own in the U.S. The gym was beautifully decorated and the ceremoney consisted of slide shows, songs, longs speeches, and tearful goodbyes from their homeroom teachers.

Graduation decorations at Satan school

It was a wakeup call that the school year and my time with some of my favorite teachers had ended.

Not so "Easy Peasy" but very "Japanesey"

If I am to do any justice to the Internet community or to those who are interested in the JET Program (or any other program for that matter), then I would have to be frank and state that living in Japan is not easy. 

What?! What's so hard about living in a country that is so technologically advanced that they invent robots that can play the violin just for frickin' fun? If you don't know that answer or need to brush up, read the article "5 Things Nobody Tells You About Living in Japan" and become enlightened.

Japan doesn't sh*t glitter and Pokémon.
 Well, maybe not glitter.

In the U.S. I am a fairly independent person who has no problems whatsoever with everyday situations. This is simply not the case in Japan. Due to the need of constant assistance for the most mundane task, I feel as though I have regressed from adulthood. One reason for this juvenility is the huge language blockade. It’s a “blockade” because if it were something physical, it would look something like Gandalf the Grey standing on the Great Wall of China quoting that epic line:

Although I studied Japanese for quite some time, it didn’t prepare me for in-depth or complex conversations. It’s difficult to develop friendships or work-relationships when the language blockade does not let you pass the superficial. Luckily, the language blockade has not disrupted my relations with students as they thrive on superficial conversations. Japanese children are like tiny, drunk friends that love to comment on appearances. So far, they find my intonations (when speaking Japanese) and gestures cute, but I wouldn’t consider myself as “cute” when I speak English. Therefore, as a result of the language blockade, my personality has not carried over when I speak Japanese. 

Outside of work, the language blockade is affecting everything from making appointments to filling out forms. Stores or companies can refuse to assist me because they cannot explain (nor would I be able to understand) complex contractual terms. However, in cases when I am assisted by a patient employee, things will, and need to be, repeated to make sure that I completely understand. The smallest accomplishments feel like I’ve won the lottery, while failures feel as though my life is forever ruined. It’s a real roller coaster ride of emotions.  The language blockade doesn’t make me want to run back to the U.S, but it does motivate me to work harder on my Japanese in order to communicate more efficiently and so that I can show these Okinawans the true loca that I am.