I went to play in Tajima weekend before last; this is the same tournament i took an 8-hour road trip to play in back in the summer of 2005, when I first studied abroad in Japan, though this time it was only a 2-hour trip from nearby Tottori. Another pickup team, another great time.
We had to book it back a day early, however, for our sayonara party with the other JETs. Some superlative awards were given (I won for best dance moves, for reasons I'm sure you all are aware of), speeches were made, but generally we just had a great time with our last hurrah as this group of JETs.
Many of us are leaving and scattering across the globe, and though the goodbyes were sad...in a strange way, I feel like leaving will make us closer. While here we were acquaintances, forced to be something more than that by circumstance (namely, the circumstance of being part of the .5% foreign population in Tottori); should our paths ever cross again, that same shared circumstance will lend us a camaraderie in many ways greater than the sum of our time together here. It's not just the time with each other, but the shared experience of having lived and taught here, in our Tottori, that strengthens this bond. No tears for these farewells, but strong emotion, in large part nostalgia.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
final farewells
My final day entailed three visits. One was to an elementary school (similar to the prior post; at this one a student read a message to me in English with tears in her eyes and it was all I could do to avoid breaking down right then and there).
The other two went to my junior high schools. Both were difficult farewells, but one was especially tough.
Of the anecdotes above and throughout the past year, most all of them have been from one school in particular. If you recall graduation in March, I was pretty bummed to miss the ceremony at one of the schools--it's the same one. I've come to love all of my students, but I especially relish every chance with the ones at Hatto.
...I try really really hard not to cry. Call me bull-headed, old-fashioned, stubborn, whatever; it's an emotion I take very seriously. I try especially hard not to cry with an audience.
I cried when I said my goodbye at Hatto. I wasn't the only one.
I thanked my students for fun classes, and for their smiles--their smiles, welcoming me from the beginning, when I was nervous about my life as a teacher in Japan. I told them that I enjoyed seeing their energy, in class and out, and that they had gone from shy students to friends who would stop anywhere to say hello.
I told them that I was going to medical school, and that, since I was becoming a student again, we should both do our best at our studies, together.
I told them that I'd never forget them. And I sobbed out a final "thank you".
They gave me flowers. They gave me a book full of farewell messages. They gave me a round of applause as I left.
The other two went to my junior high schools. Both were difficult farewells, but one was especially tough.
Of the anecdotes above and throughout the past year, most all of them have been from one school in particular. If you recall graduation in March, I was pretty bummed to miss the ceremony at one of the schools--it's the same one. I've come to love all of my students, but I especially relish every chance with the ones at Hatto.
...I try really really hard not to cry. Call me bull-headed, old-fashioned, stubborn, whatever; it's an emotion I take very seriously. I try especially hard not to cry with an audience.
I cried when I said my goodbye at Hatto. I wasn't the only one.
I thanked my students for fun classes, and for their smiles--their smiles, welcoming me from the beginning, when I was nervous about my life as a teacher in Japan. I told them that I enjoyed seeing their energy, in class and out, and that they had gone from shy students to friends who would stop anywhere to say hello.
I told them that I was going to medical school, and that, since I was becoming a student again, we should both do our best at our studies, together.
I told them that I'd never forget them. And I sobbed out a final "thank you".
They gave me flowers. They gave me a book full of farewell messages. They gave me a round of applause as I left.
Elementary Goodbyes
Farewells at the elementaries were really bittersweet. At one they had a rather elaborate ceremony* worked out, including one of the students reading to me in English (granted, he was reading it with Japanese phonetics as it was written, but still, !!) while at another they all sang to me. Really touching stuff--mementos aplenty, with drawn-up thank you notes from all my 5th and 6th graders, complete with picutres of us together.
I was doing really really good at not crying until I was leaving one school--they accompanied me to the exit and saw me off from the parking lot; I was still good pulling out, but as I went down the hill by the school to drive away, the students started running along the top of it alongside of me, waving and shouting "goodbye!"
I could still see them in my rear view mirror as the tears welled up.
I was doing really really good at not crying until I was leaving one school--they accompanied me to the exit and saw me off from the parking lot; I was still good pulling out, but as I went down the hill by the school to drive away, the students started running along the top of it alongside of me, waving and shouting "goodbye!"
I could still see them in my rear view mirror as the tears welled up.
Labels:
elementary schools,
farewells,
students
"Ganbatte kudasai [please do your best]!"
Had my very last class at middle school; at the end I told them a bit about my plans ("I want to be a doctor"), and students wrote farewell messages (being 9th graders with at least 3 years of English under their belt, they only got 10 minutes--lots of hurried textbook flipping looking up words!).
After class, Shie, perhaps my very favorite student (she's the one who pointed me out in the Backstreet Boys Video--I've got a bunch of anecdotes just about her. Super-energetic and completely unabashed in her English use), came up to me.
"Doctor," she says, "Great!" and curls a clenched fist in show of solidarity.
"I'll do my best!"
"You are doctor, I am nurse!" she giggles, rushing off excitedly.
I'm really gonna miss my students.
After class, Shie, perhaps my very favorite student (she's the one who pointed me out in the Backstreet Boys Video--I've got a bunch of anecdotes just about her. Super-energetic and completely unabashed in her English use), came up to me.
"Doctor," she says, "Great!" and curls a clenched fist in show of solidarity.
"I'll do my best!"
"You are doctor, I am nurse!" she giggles, rushing off excitedly.
I'm really gonna miss my students.
Labels:
students
"Since Matt-sensei is single, how about...?"
During lunch with the 1st graders at one of the elementaries we were chatting about the usual fare for a while ("What animal do you like?" "How old are you?"), until finally one asks the inevitable:
"[Do you have a girlfriend?]"
I inform them that no, I in fact, do not, and am immediately paired off with one of the assistant teachers. Awkward eye contact and apologies from/to the paired parties ensue while the children giggle; despite the homeroom teacher's reassurances that, fact that I was leaving Japan aside, I didn't need the help of the first graders to find a girlfriend, the students kept bringing it up.
"Well if Matt likes curry rice, ~sensei can make it..."
Their innocence really is touching.
"[Do you have a girlfriend?]"
I inform them that no, I in fact, do not, and am immediately paired off with one of the assistant teachers. Awkward eye contact and apologies from/to the paired parties ensue while the children giggle; despite the homeroom teacher's reassurances that, fact that I was leaving Japan aside, I didn't need the help of the first graders to find a girlfriend, the students kept bringing it up.
"Well if Matt likes curry rice, ~sensei can make it..."
Their innocence really is touching.
Labels:
elementary schools,
students
"Three!? Three WHAT, huh?"
Went swimming with my elementary school students Friday a week ago. I showed off my butterfly technique (when I told them it was my specialty, they were all "oh! awesome!"); being 5 years out of practice means I left the pool really sore, but I still got it!
The elementary students were of course keen to study my body moreso than my technique--lots of requests for muscle flexes and such, along with plenty of poking and some hugs, the hug being a new tactic in an attempt to sap my body heat (it was a cool overcast day at the outdoor pool).
At one point on the deck, a 6th grade boy leans over and examines my crotch*.
"Yappari, mit-tsu aru. [I knew it, there's three!]"
Something about curiousity and cats. He got a good poke attack for that one.
(*I was in a speedo--I've kept it from high school. It's so small, why not pack it everywhere?)
The elementary students were of course keen to study my body moreso than my technique--lots of requests for muscle flexes and such, along with plenty of poking and some hugs, the hug being a new tactic in an attempt to sap my body heat (it was a cool overcast day at the outdoor pool).
At one point on the deck, a 6th grade boy leans over and examines my crotch*.
"Yappari, mit-tsu aru. [I knew it, there's three!]"
Something about curiousity and cats. He got a good poke attack for that one.
(*I was in a speedo--I've kept it from high school. It's so small, why not pack it everywhere?)
Labels:
elementary schools,
students
"This is 'Tuba.'"
I went through band practice one day last week. The students are spread in different rooms practicing their various instruments (mostly woodwinds, but there was the drum/xylophone room for the percussionists too).
As I walked into the percussion room, one of my favorite girls, Yui, comes up to me (she's sort of in charge of practice), offering an emphatic "Hi!" (which is why she's one of my favorites).
She then proceeds to lead me through the rooms, stopping to introduce me to all of the instruments in English, without any prompting from me whatsoever.
At one point I tell her I played sax back in high school.
"!! Me too!" she excitedly replies. She even let me HOLD hers. Got me nostalgic for my high school jazz band days. More than anything, though, it made me really happy--it was very much a "she can SO use English!" moment, and I'm not sure which of us was prouder for it.
As I walked into the percussion room, one of my favorite girls, Yui, comes up to me (she's sort of in charge of practice), offering an emphatic "Hi!" (which is why she's one of my favorites).
She then proceeds to lead me through the rooms, stopping to introduce me to all of the instruments in English, without any prompting from me whatsoever.
At one point I tell her I played sax back in high school.
"!! Me too!" she excitedly replies. She even let me HOLD hers. Got me nostalgic for my high school jazz band days. More than anything, though, it made me really happy--it was very much a "she can SO use English!" moment, and I'm not sure which of us was prouder for it.
Labels:
students
Japanese Snot Eaters
Checking out baseball practice on my way home one day, one of my normally quiet 7th graders starts talking to me a bit--being a 7th grade boy, of course, he has some typical boy questions. For instance:
Him: "What's this?" while pointing at his nose.
Me: "Nose?"
Him, in Japanese now, "no, [Japanese word I haven't learned]."
gestures at something reminiscent of picking your nose.
Me: "..Snot?"
"Su-not!" he giggles.
He points at his friend. "You are 'snot!'" His friend gives him a quizzical look, while Yuu* (the first boy) repeats the accusation, cracking up.
He turns back to me. "What's [a bloody nose**?]"
My translation is too long for his liking, so he immediately moves on.
At this point a 9th grader, Daijiro, has come over to supervise.
"What's [poop?]"
Me (faux innocent): "I don't know."
Yuu squats, and gestures from his butt.
At this point Daijiro interjects telling him to stop it. ("You are a bad man," Daijiro scolds, but being a lowly 7th grader Yuu needs a translation to get the insult.)
I of course refuse to tell him anything more at this point, seeing what he's already done with the little I've given. Yuu tries to get a couple more perverse but typically boyish words translated, along with hilarious gesticulation--I've never had as much fun playing dumb as when he was gesturing at [from] his crotch looking for confirmation of what it's called while some two dozen of his classmates looked on cracking up. Eventually he gives up and goes back to his old ways.
Yuu: "This boy likes snot. He eats snot!" "You are su-NOT!"
I'm glad I'm still making friends even with the end so close.
(*He spelled his name as "You," using the well-learned English pronoun in his farewell note. Adorable.
**For the record, a bloody nose is a sign of perversion in popular media here--blood's all rushing around so much that the nose gives out).
Him: "What's this?" while pointing at his nose.
Me: "Nose?"
Him, in Japanese now, "no, [Japanese word I haven't learned]."
gestures at something reminiscent of picking your nose.
Me: "..Snot?"
"Su-not!" he giggles.
He points at his friend. "You are 'snot!'" His friend gives him a quizzical look, while Yuu* (the first boy) repeats the accusation, cracking up.
He turns back to me. "What's [a bloody nose**?]"
My translation is too long for his liking, so he immediately moves on.
At this point a 9th grader, Daijiro, has come over to supervise.
"What's [poop?]"
Me (faux innocent): "I don't know."
Yuu squats, and gestures from his butt.
At this point Daijiro interjects telling him to stop it. ("You are a bad man," Daijiro scolds, but being a lowly 7th grader Yuu needs a translation to get the insult.)
I of course refuse to tell him anything more at this point, seeing what he's already done with the little I've given. Yuu tries to get a couple more perverse but typically boyish words translated, along with hilarious gesticulation--I've never had as much fun playing dumb as when he was gesturing at [from] his crotch looking for confirmation of what it's called while some two dozen of his classmates looked on cracking up. Eventually he gives up and goes back to his old ways.
Yuu: "This boy likes snot. He eats snot!" "You are su-NOT!"
I'm glad I'm still making friends even with the end so close.
(*He spelled his name as "You," using the well-learned English pronoun in his farewell note. Adorable.
**For the record, a bloody nose is a sign of perversion in popular media here--blood's all rushing around so much that the nose gives out).
Labels:
students
"Did you enjoy?"
Last week I stopped in on some students working on their art after school. These students are some of my chattiest (nothing all that substantial usually mind you--just "hi! how are you!" but still better than most students will give unprompted).
At one point they're going back and forth about who likes who--two of the girls tell me that "She," pointing at a third girl, "likes her neighbor!" but she retorts with a "SHE likes my big brother!" and proceeds to allude to some rendezvous had (something about spending a night together, very scandalous--I'm assuming it was on a field trip or such), the other denying it the whole time. I asked her if she enjoyed it, and they all cracked up.
At one point they're going back and forth about who likes who--two of the girls tell me that "She," pointing at a third girl, "likes her neighbor!" but she retorts with a "SHE likes my big brother!" and proceeds to allude to some rendezvous had (something about spending a night together, very scandalous--I'm assuming it was on a field trip or such), the other denying it the whole time. I asked her if she enjoyed it, and they all cracked up.
Labels:
students
High School Reunion
About a month ago walking back from school I bumped into some students coming from the high school--no longer my students, they'd graduated in March, but I didn't see them at first and they remembered me, calling me over by name.
We exchanged some brief pleasantries--I asked them about how high school was ("...enjoying...enjoy...fun! It's fun!!" one of them exclaimed. She always was one of the best students--most never realize there's a translation beyond "enjoy"), and we went on our way, but the...joy at the chance encounter buoyed my spirits for a whole week.
We exchanged some brief pleasantries--I asked them about how high school was ("...enjoying...enjoy...fun! It's fun!!" one of them exclaimed. She always was one of the best students--most never realize there's a translation beyond "enjoy"), and we went on our way, but the...joy at the chance encounter buoyed my spirits for a whole week.
Labels:
students
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Karoke Champions
In late April we held "Tottori Idol," a karaoke competition for the JETs in the prefecture. Most people missed the "karaoke" memo though and either sang their own music with live accompaniment or otherwise didn't need the machine. My favorite performance was a single group that did Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'"...on Rock Band. (For those that don't know, Rock Band is Guitar Hero plus--a video game where you have two guitar controllers, a drum set controller, and a mic, and everyone hits buttons in time with the song to "perform").
I got recruited to join a boy band--sorry to disappoint, but there was no Backstreet Boys "I Want it That Way" this time. Instead we did "Poison" by Bell Biv DeVoe, the '90s hip-hop one-hit wonder.
We had choreo.
We won.
I got recruited to join a boy band--sorry to disappoint, but there was no Backstreet Boys "I Want it That Way" this time. Instead we did "Poison" by Bell Biv DeVoe, the '90s hip-hop one-hit wonder.
We had choreo.
We won.
Labels:
karaoke,
Tottori,
tottori idol
Preparing for Succession
I finally got my successor's information week before last. Been e-mailing him information and selling him my car, etc...it's really starting to hit home just how soon I'll be leaving. With less than a month to go, I've started packing up my extra (winter) clothes to send home, and just generally have shifted to more of a "the end is nigh" mindset. I met people this weekend, for instance, who could've been good friends in other circumstances, but in this case we simply part with a "farewell."
I'm particularly dreading saying goodbye to my students--with only a few weeks of class left I've only a couple classes at most with each grade left. This Friday will be my last time teaching at the elementaries, and the following week they'll have a "farewell" ceremony for me, which is probably going to make me cry. For whatever challenges I've had with adjusting to living and working here, one thing remains undeniable; I love these children. Seeing my middle school students now, I remark to myself on how they've grown and matured over the past year, about how the non-working troublemaker has at least tried to pay attention on occasion, or how my 9th graders from last year have moved on to high school--I ran into a few not long ago and had a great old-friends moment with them. This is why I love this job, and why leaving will be bittersweet.
I'm particularly dreading saying goodbye to my students--with only a few weeks of class left I've only a couple classes at most with each grade left. This Friday will be my last time teaching at the elementaries, and the following week they'll have a "farewell" ceremony for me, which is probably going to make me cry. For whatever challenges I've had with adjusting to living and working here, one thing remains undeniable; I love these children. Seeing my middle school students now, I remark to myself on how they've grown and matured over the past year, about how the non-working troublemaker has at least tried to pay attention on occasion, or how my 9th graders from last year have moved on to high school--I ran into a few not long ago and had a great old-friends moment with them. This is why I love this job, and why leaving will be bittersweet.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Happy Rafting in Shikoku
Roaring waves and rafters alike!
Met up with the aforementioned Tokushima-prefecture JETs for a day of whitewater rafting last weekend; this time instead of making the trip to Akashi, which is a decenly long but still doable drive, I took the express trains to cover the 200+ km.The weather and scenery were absolutely GORGEous; it was cloudy but not rainy, hot but not uncomfortably so. A perfect day to be out on the water (and in the water--the rapids themselves were fine but our guide had us doing all sorts of balancing acts or otherwise that left us capsized or man overboard-ed). Highlights included stopping for lunch at a bluff overlooking much of the gorge the water ran through and a point nearby where we could "surf" a raft in a rapid where the current came back towards the waterfall. We took turns going in small groups with a guide to keep us afloat, but that didn't do much to avoid the inevitable tossed person/people or capsized raft.
We followed the day of rafting with a night of camping right on the water, building a campfire and enjoying the summer night, and saw some nearby sights the following day. A beautiful weekend and a wonderful getaway.
You can find pictures on facebook here and here.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Beach Ultimate in Akashi
A few weekends ago (June 13-14) I road tripped with a fellow Tottori JET to Akashi--about a 4 hour drive--to play some beach ultimate. The group was pretty similar to the people I played with in Awaji in April; lots of JETs from other prefectures, including Tokushima on the smaller island of Shikoku and Fukuoka, which is pretty far west on the island of Kyushu (in contrast, Tottori is on the northern coast of the southern part of Honshu, Japan's main island).
Saturday's play saw us all mixed up on different teams in a Hat Tournament (where you decide teams by drawing names out of a hat--in this case, we drew our team assignments out of a hat when we registered); most of the teams in Japan are colleges, so I got to chat and play with a handful of guys and gals around my age. I helped carry my team to a 5th-place finish out of some dozen teams. We spent Saturday night in a ryokan, a Japanese-style inn where you sleep on tatami floors with futon mattresses; all 10 of us shared a room together, which made it pretty fun, very nostalgic of sharing cabins at summer camp--thankfully there weren't any big snorers.
Sunday we played together on our own team, complete with spray-painted jerseys one of the guys had made. We played hard and well, and wound up finishing 8th out of some 26 teams or so; with a better format or seeding, we could've easily been in the finals though, since we only lost to the eventual champions. Altogether it was a great weekend that left me really excited to play more ultimate! I've only got one more tourney here (and can only make part of it), but I'm looking forward to playing some more once I'm back in the US.
Saturday's play saw us all mixed up on different teams in a Hat Tournament (where you decide teams by drawing names out of a hat--in this case, we drew our team assignments out of a hat when we registered); most of the teams in Japan are colleges, so I got to chat and play with a handful of guys and gals around my age. I helped carry my team to a 5th-place finish out of some dozen teams. We spent Saturday night in a ryokan, a Japanese-style inn where you sleep on tatami floors with futon mattresses; all 10 of us shared a room together, which made it pretty fun, very nostalgic of sharing cabins at summer camp--thankfully there weren't any big snorers.
Rising Tide!
Sunday we played together on our own team, complete with spray-painted jerseys one of the guys had made. We played hard and well, and wound up finishing 8th out of some 26 teams or so; with a better format or seeding, we could've easily been in the finals though, since we only lost to the eventual champions. Altogether it was a great weekend that left me really excited to play more ultimate! I've only got one more tourney here (and can only make part of it), but I'm looking forward to playing some more once I'm back in the US.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
新型インフルエンザ
That's "Shingata Influenza," or "New Type Influenza" in English--the latest buzzword sweeping the nation! And not in a good way. Just this past weekend Japan's number of cases balooned to over 120; schools in Kobe and Osaka were shut down in Hyogo-ken, which, for those of you who know your Japanese geography, is right next to Tottori.
Not to be a douchebag or make light of what's already happened, but I'm kind of hoping we get one or two cases here and some school closures, especially given how relatively non-lethal the virus is proving. It's kind of like hoping for a snow day, only minus the fun of getting to go hang out with your friends in the snow.
Japan has been seemingly very paranoid about the virus though; I've heard reports of some other JETs having to wear masks at work (along with everyone else) and of travel plans being grounded, and I fear the craze will persist. Hopefully there won't be any issues when the time comes for me to head back home in July!
Not to be a douchebag or make light of what's already happened, but I'm kind of hoping we get one or two cases here and some school closures, especially given how relatively non-lethal the virus is proving. It's kind of like hoping for a snow day, only minus the fun of getting to go hang out with your friends in the snow.
Japan has been seemingly very paranoid about the virus though; I've heard reports of some other JETs having to wear masks at work (along with everyone else) and of travel plans being grounded, and I fear the craze will persist. Hopefully there won't be any issues when the time comes for me to head back home in July!
Labels:
swine influenza,
work
Hot Disc Action
I finally found some consistent ultimate. The last weekend of April, I played at a tournament in Awaji (fully 4 hours' drive from me) with a bunch of internationals, mostly JETs, from the area; weather was terrible, especially on the first day, but we stayed at a nearby teammate's house and bbq'd on Saturday night, complete with bona fide hamburger meat imported from the states, which by itself was enough to make my weekend.
Coming up: Beach ultimate in June, and in July there's a big tournament in Tajima--I actually played in it back in '05 with some Tokyo folk, and I'm really looking forward to going back and seeing how the tourney (and by extension, ultimate in Japan) has grown.
Coming up: Beach ultimate in June, and in July there's a big tournament in Tajima--I actually played in it back in '05 with some Tokyo folk, and I'm really looking forward to going back and seeing how the tourney (and by extension, ultimate in Japan) has grown.
Labels:
ultimate
Slow Times at Junior High
The new year started in April, and with the new year came a re-organization of curriculum. Unfortunately, this has left me without classes much more frequently than I'd like.
In part this stems from new-year activities, orientation and the like leading to canceled classes, but part of it is also just an outright reduction in my classes taught at one of my schools--I went from teaching all three grades every week to only being guaranteed to teach the 9th graders. It's especially distressing for me because this school is my favorite one, where I get along with the students really well; fortunately, I still get to eat with the students and hang out (watch and occasionally chat) during club activities after school, so all is not lost, but I'm hoping that as the year progresses I'll again have fuller days. Right now many classes are still early enough in their textbooks that the "speaking" lessons haven't cropped up yet, which is another reason my teaching volume is down--some classes I have scheduled wind up not needing me.
.'がんばっています。
In part this stems from new-year activities, orientation and the like leading to canceled classes, but part of it is also just an outright reduction in my classes taught at one of my schools--I went from teaching all three grades every week to only being guaranteed to teach the 9th graders. It's especially distressing for me because this school is my favorite one, where I get along with the students really well; fortunately, I still get to eat with the students and hang out (watch and occasionally chat) during club activities after school, so all is not lost, but I'm hoping that as the year progresses I'll again have fuller days. Right now many classes are still early enough in their textbooks that the "speaking" lessons haven't cropped up yet, which is another reason my teaching volume is down--some classes I have scheduled wind up not needing me.
.'がんばっています。
Things are Heating Up...
After a fairly rainy/cold welcome upon my return to Japan from China, Things have warmed considerably. Students are back to wearing their lighter summer uniforms after a long chilly (but not cold) winter.
I like to think of right now as the calm before the storm--the weather is bearable now; soon, when the summer hits full-bore, humidity and all, it won't be.
I like to think of right now as the calm before the storm--the weather is bearable now; soon, when the summer hits full-bore, humidity and all, it won't be.
Swine Influenza Fever
I returned from China the first Tuesday in May, had Wednesday off, and went to work as usual on Thursday. During the day, my supervisor (at the board of education) called a few times: once, to confirm whenI had gotten back; again, later, to tell me that for the sake of my elementary schools, I should take tomorrow off and not teach (my thought: you DO realize you're telling me not to go to school...while I'm at school, right? I assured him I was fine); and finally, he called to tell me that, well, since I said I was healthy, I could go to work after all.
Ridiculous. The next day at the elementaries I got a round of questioning to the effect of:
"So you went to China, huh?" (yes, it was fun)
"Did you hear about the swine flu?" (some warnings on the flight over, and a lot on the way back, yep)
"...did they test or check you at all when you got back to Japan?" (yes yes, I had to fill out a form and... [at this point I exaggerated the trouble of the process so it sounded a little more rigorous])
[to the staff, visibly relieved:] "He was checked!"
Sigh. The trouble with today's widespread information network is that it's very easy to get people into a panic. At least my middle schools have some sense; no panic there. Though I did mess with one of my students at lunch (this is the same one who thought I was Howie of BSB fame; when she asked about the flu ("pork influenza;" good vocabulary!) I feigned a few coughs and got a rise out of her before I assured her I was joking.
This is to say nothing of how much things have escalated in the 3-week interim; more on that in another post.
Ridiculous. The next day at the elementaries I got a round of questioning to the effect of:
"So you went to China, huh?" (yes, it was fun)
"Did you hear about the swine flu?" (some warnings on the flight over, and a lot on the way back, yep)
"...did they test or check you at all when you got back to Japan?" (yes yes, I had to fill out a form and... [at this point I exaggerated the trouble of the process so it sounded a little more rigorous])
[to the staff, visibly relieved:] "He was checked!"
Sigh. The trouble with today's widespread information network is that it's very easy to get people into a panic. At least my middle schools have some sense; no panic there. Though I did mess with one of my students at lunch (this is the same one who thought I was Howie of BSB fame; when she asked about the flu ("pork influenza;" good vocabulary!) I feigned a few coughs and got a rise out of her before I assured her I was joking.
This is to say nothing of how much things have escalated in the 3-week interim; more on that in another post.
Labels:
elementary schools,
students,
swine influenza,
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A Golden Week in China
Another JET and I went to China over Golden Week (a series of days off in close proximity to each other in Japan--it doesn't QUITE reach a week, but we covered the gap with a couple vacation days). We entered and departed through Hong Kong (where you can get a visa for mainland China with about a day's turnaround), with stops in Guangzhou, Xi'an, and Beijing on the itinerary as well. Notable stops included the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi'an (and the ensuing haggling for small miniatures and souvenirs--at one point, without us even trying, a hawker bid himself down from 180 quai to 30 quai [~$30 to ~$10] as we walked by, merely browsing), and the obligatory trip to the Great Wall of China.
My friend Crank (check out his blog recapping our visit!) lives in Beijing currently, so getting to visit him was also a big highlight--I haven't seen him in a couple years, and given that I haven't seen any Dartmouth folk for a while it was really refreshing to spend a couple days with one of my favorites.
If you want more details, a vaguely slide-show-esque recounting can be found in picture form online.
My favorite, from the great wall (click for full size):
My friend Crank (check out his blog recapping our visit!) lives in Beijing currently, so getting to visit him was also a big highlight--I haven't seen him in a couple years, and given that I haven't seen any Dartmouth folk for a while it was really refreshing to spend a couple days with one of my favorites.
If you want more details, a vaguely slide-show-esque recounting can be found in picture form online.
My favorite, from the great wall (click for full size):
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