Sweet Making Class

Took the Japanese sweet making class at the cultural center with Sophie and Chris.
This is the 2nd class, and we made chestnut rice cake and flower looking bean paste sweet.

Junior High Girl Talk

After lunch, we usually have a break.
There are 5 girls who could come to the office and asked me to hang out with them during the break.

The first time I hung out with them they asked me if I remember their names.
I felt really bad to tell them that I don't, because there are 800 students in my junior high school.
As a result, I just came up with random names and the students had to tell me that I got it all wrong.
Then I came up with an excuse that I just mixed up their names with someone else's.

They told me to remember their names, and I promised.

Today the same groups of girl came to me again and asked me to hang out with them.
I went to their classroom and had a chat.
We started to talk about boys (yes... girls' gossip).
They asked me if I like Taiwanese boys or caucasian boys.
I asked them the same question back.
Then this girl she told me that she perfer Japanese boys. I asked her why.
She said "because caucasian boys they kindda smell..." and then she said again " caucasian boys would often hold doors for girls, but I don't like that".
Then I was trying to defend the caucasian boys by saying " well... they hold the doors because they are being gentelmen."
She said, "yeah... and I don't like that."

I wonder if she had ever dated any foreign guys...but I found it hilarious anyway....

My New Car!!!!!

YES~~~ just got a car a week ago.
Had to drive on the other side of the road.
But surprisingly I found it easier to drive in Japan than in Canada for some reason...

SIlver Week 3

Dad wanted to visit Kitakata and Aitsu, so we had to wake up early and took the train there.

Kitagata is famous for ramen and kura (old architecture that were used for storage purpose in the old times)


Now they turned these kuras into cafe or specialty shops.



After spending some time in Kitakata, we took the train again to Aitsu.

We visited samurai's house again and a castle.
I didn't take any pictures of the castle.
Because of silver week, everywhere were so packed.
At night we diceded to take the bus home instead of the train. But it was bad decision. Got on the bus around 5:45pm, and supposed to arrive in 1hr 30 mins. Because of the traffic jam we didn't arrive till 10pm...

We learned that, it's best to avoid traveling during national holidays.

SIlver Week 2

I drove my dad around Nagaoka.
We went to see the oldest wooden building in town, which was used to be owned by rop ranking samurai.


Then we wanted to go to the beach. We drove for awhile, but my car was out of gas... and it was getting dark, so we didn't end up going.

Silver Week 1

Dad visited me over the silver week (a week long vacation).
We visited a couple places together.

We went to Tochio with Sophie and Chris & Chris' friend who's name is also Chris.
Tochio is a small town, it's famous for aburage (fried tofu). Not much sight-seeing there, but we were lucky to see a warrior festival.

People in Tochio are all very friendly. Since they knew we are foreign, they would come talk us and suggest to us where to go/what to see.
There was this ojisan who worked in the Civic Centre, he kept on suggesting us to try aburage. He volunteered to make phone calls to aburage shop, so we could try the aburage. He phoned a couple, the the shops were out of aburage. Finally there was this one shop that was still selling aburage and was willing to cook some aburage for us, foreigners, to try.
The shop owner brought out tables and forks, then she cooked aburage for us. We sat outside the shop and ate aburage like kids do. Foreigners eating aburage side by side... we must look hilarious. People were staring at us >.<


We also drop by some shops. When we went into a sweet shop, people offered us sweets' when we went into a tea shop, ppl offered us tea. I don't think they were trying to make money out of us, but they were so eager to show us Japanese things. At the end, we didn't want to be freeloaders, so we still end up buying things from them.

While we were wondering around the streets, one old woman came up to us, pointed at the other direction and said "come try matcha" (powdered green tea). We thought maybe she has a matcha store, so we said "no no".
But later we found out that we have misunderstood her kindness.
As we walked towards a temple, another woman came to us and said that there is a tea ceremony going on in the temple and told us to hurry to the temple.
So then... we went to the temple and tried tea ceremony. Drinked matcha and had sweets.


It just happened that the day we went there, they have a warrior festival where people dressed up as samurais from the past and parade along the streets in town.





At night we came back to Nagaoka and had dinner together in an izakaya.

My leg!!!

Yesterday I shaved my leg.
I cut myself, so I put a band-aid on it.
When I removed it after 5 hours, blood continued to run down my leg. I had to wipe it a couple times, and it didn't stop, so I put the band-aid back on.
I didn't feel a thing, but the blood just kept on rushing down my leg. I found it too amazing!

Junior High

Today I had four junior high classes.
And one of the classes didn't go well.

I had to sing a song in a class, but the students wouldn't sing along with me.
I was doing gestures and singing out loud... like an idiot. The students just laughed and I could do nothing about it...
It was the longest 3 mins ever.

Besides that, they teachers insisted that the picture of fall is "warm" and the picture of spring is "cool", while we were studying about weather expressions.
I thought it should be the other way around.

There are other things... but yeah... bad class... bad class...

9/12

Saturday today...
I slept till 12pm when my mom phoned, so I had to wake up.
My mom knew that I was sleeping so she said that she'll phone back later.
Then, I went back to sleep again.
She phoned around 1pm, then I had to wake up again to pick up the phone call.
Went back to sleep after that.
Finally decided to get up when Chris text msged me.
I think I could waste my Saturday sleeping all day and not doing anything else.
I don't know why I feel so tired...

+

it's getting colder recently, but I don't feel like wearing long sleeves...

Higoshi Elementary

Was teaching at Higoshi Elementary yesterday.
Just when I was about to leave the school, one of the 3rd grade students came to me and asked "are you going back to Canada by shinkansen?"
I thought that was so cute:]

Suyoshi Elementary

Today is my first visit to elementary school.
I taught a few grade 3 classes and a few grade 1 classes today.

I ate lunch with one of the grade 1 classes in their homeroom class.
They came to the office and took me to their class to eat with them.
They served me yummy school lunch too :D

During lunch time they were trying to talk to me with lots gestures.
I couldn't really understand... Something about the bunnies in the school's garden, sth about big red and white fish, and sth about pony's poop....

After lunch, they wanted to play tag with me, so we all went the gym and play tag indoor. The kids were really nice to me tho... they asked if i am thirsty, then they showed me where the water fountain is located.

The kids love touching and holding hands with me. They also showed me how to play traditional japanese toys.

The grade 1 kids were so cute!!!!!!
I wish that I can take them home with me.

Let's Study Kenji :D

Mark, Sophie, Chris and I formed a study group to study for the Japanese proficiency exam with will take place this coming December.

Jordan told Chris the trick of remembering the kanji for "laugh"笑:
A panda is smiling under bamboo leaves.


And then...this is how Chris pictured his own version of kanji for "langh"

My Schools & Sports Day

I got assigned to 4 elementary schools and 1 junior high school.
I visited my junior high school couple days ago when they had their sports day.
After the sports day, I went again to officially introduce myself to all the teachers and students.
I had to do a short speech in front of 700ish students in the gym. It was nerve racking... I hate public speaking. I gotta train myself for that for this job I guess.

Will be teaching at a elementary school tmr. Looking forward to that :D

ALTs

There are many ALTs in the office. way more than I expected...
They are all really nice people, I like them all.



Teo who sat beside me doesn't work with us. He works for private English school.



Jei is the ALTs leader. He is in charge of us foreigners in the office.
He doesn't like silence...his favorite line is "m... sooooo good~" whenever he eats sth. He's other favorite saying is "I want to smack he/she/you around!"

Sophie is from England. New ALT like me. She's easy going and I feel comfortable around her. We are taking sweet making lessons together :D



Next is Mary. She helped me move into my apartment. Next spring, she will become our new leader.

Then there is Jordan, who was sitting next to Mary. He's actually our regional advisor. Something would always go wrong when he's drunk... so um...yeah...

I think Mark is more suitable for the RA position. He's soooo nice. He would help us the new ALTs with anything. Taking us shopping, getting a car, showing us around. I am very grateful for what he's done for us.

The guy in glasses is Chris. He's also new from England. He is very British and fun to be with. Somehow whenever I hang out with him, random stupid things would happen. Still, I really like him <3

Besides the people I mentioned above. There's also Scott, Robert, Stuart, Erik, and Hemish. They don't usually hang out with us because they are all married to Japanese wife.
Scott is an artist; Robert is the only other person from Canada; Stuart would do anything for money; many people would describe Erik as anal...and Hemish is very funny.