(no subject)
I almost had two Tanoura visits canceled in a row (albeit one was the JHS and the other the elementary)!
I was scheduled for Tanoura Elementary today, but I didn't receive the usual fax with the lesson plan that the principal usually sends me. I had something in mind for lessons, but when I got there, they were setting up for the sports festival! The principal was very surprised to see me, and called the board of education. It turns out that, since there were no classes today (due to the preparation), the principal had called the BOE and canceled my visit. She did this a few weeks ago, so there was time to cancel my school lunch, but the BOE forgot to tell me. The BOE told the principal that she could just send me there for the day. Ugh, so I was faced with either a whole day of not doing much, or spending it with some kids I hadn't seen in over a month while cleaning and putting tents up for the sports festival.
The principal ended the phone call to the BOE with, "Well, I'll send Andy over". She said, "Well, you can go to the office now! Office day!" to which I responded, "Ummm, if it's OK, can I stay here?" I wasn't sure what her response was going to be, but she said, "Sure! They said either is OK!"
So, instead of being bored for the whole day, I got to spend the day at Tanoura Elementary helping out!
Keith (the ALT in Shibushi Town), asked some of us from the rest of Shibushi City to help out at Shibushi JHS and be recorded while giving a self-introduction. So, I met Keith and Nathanial (the new Ariake Town ALT) at Shibushi JHS and we made the tape. Afterwards, we were having tea in the teachers' room, when a first year girl bursts in the room. Nathanial and I were positioned so that you would have to be about halfway through the room to see us, so she could only see Keith. When she saw Nathanial and I, she screamed while jumping backwards and covering her mouth with her hands, then she ran out of the room. We couldn't stop laughing for a long time; it was the funniest reaction that I've seen to the presence of large foreigners since I've been here.
Until later!
I was scheduled for Tanoura Elementary today, but I didn't receive the usual fax with the lesson plan that the principal usually sends me. I had something in mind for lessons, but when I got there, they were setting up for the sports festival! The principal was very surprised to see me, and called the board of education. It turns out that, since there were no classes today (due to the preparation), the principal had called the BOE and canceled my visit. She did this a few weeks ago, so there was time to cancel my school lunch, but the BOE forgot to tell me. The BOE told the principal that she could just send me there for the day. Ugh, so I was faced with either a whole day of not doing much, or spending it with some kids I hadn't seen in over a month while cleaning and putting tents up for the sports festival.
The principal ended the phone call to the BOE with, "Well, I'll send Andy over". She said, "Well, you can go to the office now! Office day!" to which I responded, "Ummm, if it's OK, can I stay here?" I wasn't sure what her response was going to be, but she said, "Sure! They said either is OK!"
So, instead of being bored for the whole day, I got to spend the day at Tanoura Elementary helping out!
Keith (the ALT in Shibushi Town), asked some of us from the rest of Shibushi City to help out at Shibushi JHS and be recorded while giving a self-introduction. So, I met Keith and Nathanial (the new Ariake Town ALT) at Shibushi JHS and we made the tape. Afterwards, we were having tea in the teachers' room, when a first year girl bursts in the room. Nathanial and I were positioned so that you would have to be about halfway through the room to see us, so she could only see Keith. When she saw Nathanial and I, she screamed while jumping backwards and covering her mouth with her hands, then she ran out of the room. We couldn't stop laughing for a long time; it was the funniest reaction that I've seen to the presence of large foreigners since I've been here.
Until later!