Working more overtime
It has already been a week since my last post. It will probably be my only post this week, as this is my one day without overtime.
Last Thursday I went to my junior high school, and after school I helped one of the students prepare for the English speech competition. This person isn’t that good at pronunciation, but he works really hard, and I feel like with a lot of practice he can get somewhere. He still really focussed on reading every word individually correct, which means his sentences sound a bit weird, but he improved a lot over the two hours or so we practiced.
On Friday I went to my Kindergarten and my students really enjoyed the English game. This is going to sound really weird, but I feel like they are getting better each year? We have 3 years old, 4 years old and 5 years old children, and in my first year, the 5 years olds did pretty well, they others not so much. Since then, the 4 years old do really well too, and now even some of the three years olds can understand the vocabulary and even say the words. I love seeing how hard they try.
After the classes I helped the teachers set up for an event they would hold on Saturday, so I ended up getting home late as well. When I got back to the office, a former colleague had called me, and when I called her back she asked for my help translating a letter to English. Which meant I got home even later. I did manage to get to the physical therapist afterwards, thankfully so that was good. I ran into another former colleague of me there, who was instantly worried about me. “You’re still in pain?” “Yup, but I’m getting a lot better.”
On Saturday I spent my whole day at the Kindergarten, preparing for the event, and then helping out during the event as well. It was fun, but mostly just tiring.
Sunday and Monday were free and I just rested most of the time. I wasn’t feeling that well so I ended up not doing much.
Yesterday I went to the same junior high school, and after school I helped the same student, as well as another one, prepare for the speech contest. Which is what I’ll be doing during most of this week, and next week after school as well. One of them is really good at pronunciation and he participated last year as well. In my personal (I won’t say unbiased, but still) opinion, he did really well, and I’d rate him about number 3 out of the participants, but he didn’t get a price (about 6 people did, so I didn’t quite agree with the ranking. At least it wasn’t as ridiculous as the year before, where a boy with horrible pronunciation mistakes somehow got a price?). I really want him to get a price this year, because I know he can do it.
Today I went to an elementary school. Next week the sixth years get to go to Tokyo for an event to do with the Olympics. Apparently only one school of each prefecture got chosen. So we practised some simple conversations, and handshakes (because Japanese people often give you a handshake like they’d rather not.) I mentioned that was kind of rude, and the teacher made them all give me a handshake. Some tried really hard to at least look in my direction and put some power in the handshake, others did not.
I mentioned that I had read online that Japanese people can’t give handshakes. One of the students was like: What’s with that? So I said I had thought the same thing, until I actually came to Japan and realised what they meant. To give you an idea, the average student giving me a hand will have their head turned completely away from me, looking sideways, or even over their shoulder, and give the weakest handshake you’ve ever seen. On a sidenote: this does not necessarily mean this people actually doesn’t want to give me a hand, I had people voluntarily come give me a hand and still give it that way.
The third years have been practising handshakes during class as well (In a less forced way) and they’re getting really good at it. They always have to do a one-on-one greeting with me at the beginning of each class, and the teacher mentioned they should try and make eye-contact the first time, and they’re getting used to it, so yay!
I made the fifth years write little namecards so I could finally start and learn everyone’s name, and it took more time than I had hoped, but if this means I’ll be able to remember everyone’s name, I think it’s worth it.
Today I’ll be going to the physical therapist again, because I’ll work overtime tomorrow and Friday, and this weekend I’m going to Nagoya for Kanjani~. We also made some sightseeing plans, so I’m really looking forward to it! So expect another travell-y post and concert report soon-ish. (Depending on the amount of overtime the English speech contest will give me xD).
Last Thursday I went to my junior high school, and after school I helped one of the students prepare for the English speech competition. This person isn’t that good at pronunciation, but he works really hard, and I feel like with a lot of practice he can get somewhere. He still really focussed on reading every word individually correct, which means his sentences sound a bit weird, but he improved a lot over the two hours or so we practiced.
On Friday I went to my Kindergarten and my students really enjoyed the English game. This is going to sound really weird, but I feel like they are getting better each year? We have 3 years old, 4 years old and 5 years old children, and in my first year, the 5 years olds did pretty well, they others not so much. Since then, the 4 years old do really well too, and now even some of the three years olds can understand the vocabulary and even say the words. I love seeing how hard they try.
After the classes I helped the teachers set up for an event they would hold on Saturday, so I ended up getting home late as well. When I got back to the office, a former colleague had called me, and when I called her back she asked for my help translating a letter to English. Which meant I got home even later. I did manage to get to the physical therapist afterwards, thankfully so that was good. I ran into another former colleague of me there, who was instantly worried about me. “You’re still in pain?” “Yup, but I’m getting a lot better.”
On Saturday I spent my whole day at the Kindergarten, preparing for the event, and then helping out during the event as well. It was fun, but mostly just tiring.
Sunday and Monday were free and I just rested most of the time. I wasn’t feeling that well so I ended up not doing much.
Yesterday I went to the same junior high school, and after school I helped the same student, as well as another one, prepare for the speech contest. Which is what I’ll be doing during most of this week, and next week after school as well. One of them is really good at pronunciation and he participated last year as well. In my personal (I won’t say unbiased, but still) opinion, he did really well, and I’d rate him about number 3 out of the participants, but he didn’t get a price (about 6 people did, so I didn’t quite agree with the ranking. At least it wasn’t as ridiculous as the year before, where a boy with horrible pronunciation mistakes somehow got a price?). I really want him to get a price this year, because I know he can do it.
Today I went to an elementary school. Next week the sixth years get to go to Tokyo for an event to do with the Olympics. Apparently only one school of each prefecture got chosen. So we practised some simple conversations, and handshakes (because Japanese people often give you a handshake like they’d rather not.) I mentioned that was kind of rude, and the teacher made them all give me a handshake. Some tried really hard to at least look in my direction and put some power in the handshake, others did not.
I mentioned that I had read online that Japanese people can’t give handshakes. One of the students was like: What’s with that? So I said I had thought the same thing, until I actually came to Japan and realised what they meant. To give you an idea, the average student giving me a hand will have their head turned completely away from me, looking sideways, or even over their shoulder, and give the weakest handshake you’ve ever seen. On a sidenote: this does not necessarily mean this people actually doesn’t want to give me a hand, I had people voluntarily come give me a hand and still give it that way.
The third years have been practising handshakes during class as well (In a less forced way) and they’re getting really good at it. They always have to do a one-on-one greeting with me at the beginning of each class, and the teacher mentioned they should try and make eye-contact the first time, and they’re getting used to it, so yay!
I made the fifth years write little namecards so I could finally start and learn everyone’s name, and it took more time than I had hoped, but if this means I’ll be able to remember everyone’s name, I think it’s worth it.
Today I’ll be going to the physical therapist again, because I’ll work overtime tomorrow and Friday, and this weekend I’m going to Nagoya for Kanjani~. We also made some sightseeing plans, so I’m really looking forward to it! So expect another travell-y post and concert report soon-ish. (Depending on the amount of overtime the English speech contest will give me xD).