英会話のこと (about the english conversation class)
I had been dreading the English conversation class way more than I should have been. It felt like the movie The Ring, my time was running out. I don’t want to go looking for them in the black lounge. My fear of being stood up wasn’t nearly as great as my fear of the cover charge. On the other hand I’d hate to disappoint if they traveled over 30 minutes for an English conversation class the teacher with whom they made the plans with wasn’t that serious about.
It’s Monday after school. I turn on the light outside. They know where I live and can come and get me if they desire. At precisely 7:00 I hear the pitter patter or little Japanese feet walking up my stairs. I open up the door and there they are. “We came to study English!” they say in Japanese. I’m dreading this night no longer. They are both hungry and want to go get some food. They don’t want to go to the black lounge because it’s way too expensive. I concur. So we go to Seizeira, the most affordable Italian food you can find. “Order anything” they say showing me the menu. I guess that means they are paying. I could get used to this.
“Alex!” The boys sitting at that other table, who I thought were too young to be my students, were actually my students. I say hi and wave back to them.
On the way to the drink bar the boys get my attention again. One has a huge smile on his face and is giving me a thumbs up. I like my students.
On my way back from the drink bar I meet up with Mark Elwell, the first ALT ever in this prefecture. He was incredibly friendly and incredibly plump. The girls were surprised I was able to have such a long conversation after meeting him for the first time. He was easy to talk to.
Knowing neither their names nor what to talk about during our lesson, I came up with an ingenious idea that would kill two birds with one stone. I instructed them to write their names in Kanji and tell me what they meant.
拾美 means Wide Beauty
翠 means Green
The conversation with the girls isn’t that great. Green seems really interested, but Wide Beauty doesn’t seem quite as interested. and her beauty isn’t actually that wide. The food is good though. I had Saizeria's tiramisu dessert for the first time. It was fantastic.
Wide Beauty is falling asleep at the table, even though Green still seems interested. We decide it’s time to go.
Back at Apic, where their cars are parked, Wide Beauty says “おさきに”, which could be translated to “sorry to leave before you do.” It’s already 9:00, but apparently the night is going to continue? We said goodbye to Hiromi.
I ask Green if she’s going home. She says she could go home, but what are the other options? I’m going to have a girl come back to my apartment. I wish I had untucked my shirt earlier.
We sit on opposite sides of the table. She has a second wind and we begin to have a conversation about various topics. She’s speaking almost entirely in Japanese; I guess this isn’t English conversation class anymore.
She keeps going on and on. Even though she’s talking at a natural speed I’m able to understand almost everything she says. I like girls who talk a lot, they do all of the work.
Before we know it it’s midnight and time for her to go. We’re going to do this English conversation class thing again next week. I said goodbye to Midori.
(and no, we didn’t hook up, incase you were wondering)
It’s Monday after school. I turn on the light outside. They know where I live and can come and get me if they desire. At precisely 7:00 I hear the pitter patter or little Japanese feet walking up my stairs. I open up the door and there they are. “We came to study English!” they say in Japanese. I’m dreading this night no longer. They are both hungry and want to go get some food. They don’t want to go to the black lounge because it’s way too expensive. I concur. So we go to Seizeira, the most affordable Italian food you can find. “Order anything” they say showing me the menu. I guess that means they are paying. I could get used to this.
“Alex!” The boys sitting at that other table, who I thought were too young to be my students, were actually my students. I say hi and wave back to them.
On the way to the drink bar the boys get my attention again. One has a huge smile on his face and is giving me a thumbs up. I like my students.
On my way back from the drink bar I meet up with Mark Elwell, the first ALT ever in this prefecture. He was incredibly friendly and incredibly plump. The girls were surprised I was able to have such a long conversation after meeting him for the first time. He was easy to talk to.
Knowing neither their names nor what to talk about during our lesson, I came up with an ingenious idea that would kill two birds with one stone. I instructed them to write their names in Kanji and tell me what they meant.
拾美 means Wide Beauty
翠 means Green
The conversation with the girls isn’t that great. Green seems really interested, but Wide Beauty doesn’t seem quite as interested. and her beauty isn’t actually that wide. The food is good though. I had Saizeria's tiramisu dessert for the first time. It was fantastic.
Wide Beauty is falling asleep at the table, even though Green still seems interested. We decide it’s time to go.
Back at Apic, where their cars are parked, Wide Beauty says “おさきに”, which could be translated to “sorry to leave before you do.” It’s already 9:00, but apparently the night is going to continue? We said goodbye to Hiromi.
I ask Green if she’s going home. She says she could go home, but what are the other options? I’m going to have a girl come back to my apartment. I wish I had untucked my shirt earlier.
We sit on opposite sides of the table. She has a second wind and we begin to have a conversation about various topics. She’s speaking almost entirely in Japanese; I guess this isn’t English conversation class anymore.
She keeps going on and on. Even though she’s talking at a natural speed I’m able to understand almost everything she says. I like girls who talk a lot, they do all of the work.
Before we know it it’s midnight and time for her to go. We’re going to do this English conversation class thing again next week. I said goodbye to Midori.
(and no, we didn’t hook up, incase you were wondering)