Summer is over here in Maki!
Yes, it's true. The kid is back in school. Only this time I'm the one GIVING detention as opposed to the one getti...you get the idea.
Today was quite a thrill, as I was caught up in a whirlwind of last minute lesson plans and Japanese lunchroom etiquette. Plus there was the minor setback of having to give a speech in front of the entire school in both English and Japanese.
Here's my impression of how THAT went (I would be the gent on the left):
(^ ^)Actually, aside from the speech, today went very nicely...
I hopped on my bike at 7:45 AM and pedaled off towards Maki Higashi JHS amidst a drizzle which kept the daily heat mercifully at bay; the nearby mountain range was quite picturesque, dusted with a light cloud coating and delicate pin holes of morning sunlight. But the drizzle became a bit more steady, causing me to focus on the here and now (or at this point in the evening, the 'there and then'). "How to keep dry?" I pondered. But dealing with such situations is not always cut and dry (heh heh heh)...
To avoid an international incident I had to think of some alternatives to using an umbrella in keeping my books and extra shoes dry during the ride to school; using an umbrella while riding a bicycle is frowned on in Japan. The mere mention that I had an umbrella in my bag for emergency use brought out the 'sucked in air' response from normally docile and unexpressive faces -- a mental note was made.
So my Uoroku bags did the trick and books and shoes were saved!
A few girls I normally see on the road were not in their normal blue shorts and white t-shirts, rather more formal long skirts and blouses. Around the bend some boys from the other direction rolled up in dark pants and buttoned down shirts. Before I knew it, I was engulfed in what seemed like a giant school of fish in formal wear accompanied by bicycles and a sea of white helmets, if you can picture THAT one. Note the nautical theme...it WAS raining.
I had long since learned that iPods should not be used while being in these types of situations given the frequency of 'Hi!' and 'Good morning! How are you?'s I attract. But these greetings are far more enjoyable than listening to tunes repeated on some playlist, albeit a tad more dangerous when I'm trying to maneuver around tricky terrain on my bike -- like a pebble or something. Hey! I'm still getting used to the roads here!
Anyway, once we reached the school, the kids ditched their rides and scrambled up into the student's entrance, most of them running to change into less formal clothing. Even though it was the first day, they were still responsible for working as a group to clean the hallways, classrooms, and bathrooms after homeroom. And I complain about cleaning the drain in the sink...
I continued acknowledging (and encouraging in some cases) 'Good morning!'s as I put on my indoor shoes and headed up to the teacher's room. On my way I noticed that a few students had filled in some questionnaires I had pinned to the English Corner wall. "He shoots, he scores!" cried the announcer. One day and I've already got them developing prose! Ok, I just asked them to fill out their names, grades, and favorite hobbies. Gotta start somewhere.
The air in the office was even more energized with teachers running about, making last minute copies in between hurried sips of green tea. So as to not cause a fright, I whispered a slight 'good morning' to Kuwabara sensei (oh Lady of Limitless Patience -- it's a bit of a lengthy nickname, but I'm working on it), one of MH's English teachers. She and I had an 1 nensei class (1st grade in Japanese JHS, 7th grade in the States) together, where I presented a 'Brendan Bingo' game I had crafted the night before. She replied in the like but assured me that she was not that busy. Something in her step suggested otherwise.
It was at that point where I started wondering why I didn't look as if I was being chased by some monster like the other folks in the room. "Ah," inner me felt, "there we go." The nerves took their cue and settled in nicely.
I mentioned above that the speech was slightly...awkward. You get a bit stressed when all foreign language ability flies out of the window the second the mic gets tested -- the peak came when I looked up and noticed that the school of fish with whom I had traveled not 30 minutes before were staring up at me...and they brought friends. Thankfully I recovered mid-gasp and started speaking V_E_R_Y S_L_O_W_L_Y in English. This approach, however, even had some of the 1 nenseis looking like there was something seriously wrong with me. The rest was a blur... But since no one asked for my letter of resignation after the fact, I went on determined to make up for it during class.
My very first 3 nensei (9th grade) class at Maki Higashi included several of the girls who have welcomed me every morning as I ride up to the front entrance and struggle to get my indoor shoes on -- remember the band members from an earlier post? Right!
So we were old friends...
Unlike Maki Nishi (who want me to come up with my own self introduction), MHJHS had their 3 nenseis prepare questions geared towards my life in the US, as well as statements which would fill me in on some of Maki's local traditions. It was a very welcomed format given all the energy I had expensed up until that point of the day. I brought out some photos of the folks at home, did a little bit of drawing, and gave them a quick memory test at the end of class (3 questions in all) based on some of the information I had shared. All three who gave it a shot (and answered correctly) received Big Apple key chains for their efforts -- it was obvious after the dispensing of the goods that the others in the class made up their minds to take a shot at the bonus round during the next class.
One girl, Rie, who remembered my favorite team and won one of the key chains came running up to me at lunch, thanking me profusely for the gift. I said she should be proud because she earned it by having a good memory. She shook my hand firmly, promising to do her best, and with that gave me one last big smile and disappeared into the jungle of kids heading off to various rooms throughout the school.
Gotta get more of those key chains (^ ^).
Keep surfing!
Brendan
P.S. Here's a shot of some of the kids at this morning's assembly. They were receiving awards for excellence in summer sports -- sorry for the quality of the picture!
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