I want to post again to tell you more about my life
Because I realized that you might not know: It's summer vacation!
This doesn't really mean *that* much, but I can tell you a little bit about what summer vacation means to me.
1) Although the students still have classes, I don't go to them anymore--hey, it just now occurred to me that this is weird. I don't know what to say about it. That's just how it is for all of us. It's because the classes are...special summer classes. Anyway, they don't involve me. I go to work, but I more or less sit at my desk and do whatever I deem most important and deserving of my attention. And I think they usually get out earlier in the day, too. Students still have their club activities though...
2) I don't go to my other schools during summer vacation, I only go to my main base school, which is where I have my supervisor, and where ESS happens. ESS didn't happen last week though, because we had a sort of break from it for a week.
3) Last week, my schedule was very strange, and busy despite my not going to work. I went to the ESS camp Saturday through monday (which should have been my three day weekend), I took the day off on tuesday (although I still went into work to do some paperwork, etc), and then I went to the English camp from Wednesday to Friday. And then it was the weekend again. Yesterday, Ellie came to Ibusuki and we went to sushi with the other ALTs, then Ellie and I went shopping and walked to an island via a sandbar, and got some sun and exercise in that, then we worked on a near-impossible jigsaw puzzle in my apartment and ellie fell asleep on the floor, then we went out to dinner. It was a pretty good saturday. Today is my REAL REAL REAL REAL REAL day off with no no no no no obligations. MAGICAL DAY. It's only 9:15 am and I already feel like I have been awake forever. I bet I will accomplish some important shit today. (WOAH SIDE NOTE. I am listening to Kiss Kara Hajimeyou instrumental version and I legitimately just noticed something in the "strings" part I have never never never never noticed and HOW many times have I listened to this song?! And listened to it just listening to the different parts? wtf just happened!? Woah, is Kiss Kara Hajimeyou seriously coming up next on random? What are the chances of that? Well, I'll tell you. They are 1/341, that's what they are. 1/341 chance of it having been the next song. Anyway, now I have a chance to listen for that in the strings part again, although this version has lyrics, so...)
4) If you don't know what ESS is, if I haven't explained it well enough, it's Kiss Kara Hajimeyou (WHAT NO?!?!?!?!??!? I JUST STARTED SINGING ALONG INSIDE MY HEAD AND STARTED TYPING IT. THIS SONG TAKES ME OVER BODY AND SOUL. That is why it is my absolute favorite arashi song. With Donna Kotoba De as a close second, very close second).
4) Let me try that again. If you don't know what ESS is, if I haven't explained it well enough, it's English Speaking Society, and it's basically an English debate club. We debate against other schools. The topic this year is Nuclear Power Plants and if Japan should abolish them. I'm sorry, but it's extremely boring. I would be much happier if this was just a proper English club where we spoke English, watched English movies, talked in and about English, played games, etc. We have to spend way too much time
(WOW, that strings thing is really noticeable now that I noticed it! And it's only the very very very last time the chorus happens, wow, how WEIRD, I can't believe I never heard it before! God! This is why I love music. You can always discover more...)
(I love that that song just happened to come up on random right then so I could listen to it again without having to go back and replay the instrumental track. My life is so lovely. Thank you itunes.....)
Okay, anyway, in ESS we have to spend way too much time - - or THEY do anyway - - looking up information about the debate topic, translating stuff into English (boring stuff full of really complicated vocabulary), and practicing and preparing their attacks. It's just not that INTERESTING, it's like a really sort of unfun homework assignment that just goes on and on...one debate topic lasts, like, the entire year.
Our ESS club consists of two 2nd grade members and eight 1st grade members, and the eight 1st grade members have very very little experience with debate or with speaking english, so the two sempai are really doing most of the work carrying the team, but even they don't have very much experience. Needless to say, our debate team isn't very good, and our ESS club isn't very happy or successful. Or...fun. How can we make it funner? I don't know. I should try to make it funner. I can't help them very much with the actual researching and writing of their speeches, etc, but maybe I could make ESS club itself funner, by playing more music during class, bringing more snacks, making sure they take a break every hour or so to play an English game, I don't know, something. I'll do my best!
We should have ESS every day next week, as part of the summer vacation schedule.
And soon, students should start rehearsing their cheerleading (I am using that word loosely) for Sports Day which is in September, and I really like that, because it's cool and involves dancing and drumming. This is totally unrelated, I just thought of it.
5) Ellie and I are going to go to her island in August for a few days. Winwit lives on her island, but it just so happens that he won't BE there that week (!!!!!!!! STUPID!!!!!) but I might be able to see him when we go to Amami. We'll work something out. I haven't talked to him much in ages but I would love to see him anyway.
Anyway, that's all. Now you know what summer vacation means.
Oh, it also means it being really really hot.
_