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oh.em.gee. the other day, my mom sent me an email update on life. an excerpt:
Missie took the day off from summer fun and we plus brissa went to see toy story 3. highly recommend this movie. I actually cried through a children's film that's how touching this film was. However i am a little sensitive to dolls and their feelings. In other words I can relate to dolls................He, he, he..........
*back story: my mother loves dolls. from her bugs bunny when she was younger to past/current monchichi obsession to this hideous red-headed clown doll she's named "bozo", she loves them all. Sometimes you can find her talking to them. Or THROUGH them to us, complete with varying tones of voice for different dolls. My siblings and I are concerned.
*this is monchichi. he is hideous.
**at the nursing home my g-pa is at, there is a woman who thinks her toy baby is a real one. it never leaves her side. this may be my mother one day. o____O. i am trying to force her to do sudoku to keep her mind alert and prevent this from happening in the future. will keep you updated. :)
updates on life: i made ricotta cheese the other day. it's so simple- all you need is salt, vinegar, yogurt, milk! amazing!
i also came home to find a (baby?) bat hanging out on the ceiling of my stairwell. i ran into my apartment. next morning: gone. where did it go? o__O
today, I worked on an activity for the second years (ie juniors). my JTE and I are going to have the students read situations and practice the grammar pattern "you should (have) ______". i'm supposed to make up with fml situations for students to give advice about. unfortunately for me, these are all true.
situations:
1) Last weekend, I had some free time so I decided to clean my apartment. I washed dishes, did laundry, and even hung my futon outside. I felt very productive. But when I woke up the next morning, I heard the sound of rain. I ran outside but it was too late. My futon were all wet!
2) I don't like mosquitoes. Last night, I killed 3 mosquitoes in my apartment. But they had already bitten me. So now I am very itchy. [clarification: every night, i have been killing mosquitoes. they even wake me up at night and i am left feeling stupid as i blindly swat my body in the hopes of killing the little wenches. sometimes i leave their corpses around as a warning to the others. 'the others' apparently do not give a shit.
3) My younger sister and I planted seeds to grow flowers. We checked them everyday after school to see how fast they were growing. My sister's flowers were growing faster than mine and I was jealous. So I picked some of her flowers out of the soil and threw them away. When my mom found out, she was very upset with me. [clarification: i actually made the sis cry/tattle on me, at which point i denied knowing anything about the death of her seedlings. mysterious! my mother was unamused]
4) I decided not to buy an a.c./heater for my apartment because it was expensive. So my apartment was very cold this winter. I could even see my breath! Everyday after coming home, I would run to my kotatsu and stay under it until I had to take a shower or sleep. I'm glad it is warmer now.
i've just noticed (whilst grading approx. 938750982470598274 papers) that one of my students' last name is kimichi. of course, i thought it was kimchi. that would be the best.
Also, if you are wondering why I have posted so many entries today, it is because next week is exam season for the kiddies. ie, all of the teachers want to do strict grammar review lessons. ie, i do not have classes to teach until exams are over. ie, HELLOOOOO THEREEEEE blogging world!
Creeps be everywhere. I don't deny my inner creep. Apparently other people can sense it too:
Last week I met up with a friend at a bar after Japanese class in the city. I started talking to this really cool Japanese woman whose English (complete with kiwi accent) is fantastic because she worked as a masseuse Down Under for 7 years. So we're talking and she reveals that she can read palms...and proceeds to do so for my friend Emily. Emily's reading is normal: you may live in a different country in the future, etcetcetc. She reads my palm.
New Friend: "Oh, you are moteru (ie popular with the boys) and you are very creepy/pervy".
Emily: "What about me?"
New Friend: "Oh, you are like 20% creepy. Tasia's like 70%."
*palmface. I was like WHAT THE EFFF????!!!! How do you know me so well? bahahah, jk.
So basically it has been confirmed that I am totally creeptastic and pervy to the max and should be fending off hoards of men as we speak. My life!
The other day I was walking with h from the train station for our weekly adventures in cookery. I often see my students while h/i are together in fukuma and they either 1) ignore me/look away, 2) say hi, 3) smile, 4) any combination of the above. But life has an amazing sense of humor and allows me to find awkward/hilarious moments everywhere I turn.
Exhibit A:
So we're walking/holding hands and I see my student riding his bicycle parallel to us on the opposite side of the rode. I'm like, "is that one of my kids?' and sure enough, he starts smiling in recognition. Okay. That would've been normal. But no. This kid keeps riding his bicycle, looking back at us about 10 times with the biggest smile on his face. He proceeds to stop behind a vending machine because he was getting too far ahead of us and, when we approached, he started cycling again...smiles/head turning and all.
Oh my students are so おもしろい! I feel like if I were in his situation, I'd just take a peek, make a mental note, and run away in the opposite direction so as not to bump into a teacher outside of school hours. Apparently, my student doesn't think like me.
Ps- still nurturing a bicycle obsession. Love. Also, Tenjin has some beautiful people riding/parking beautiful bicycles. So cycle chic. Speaking of which: blog. I particularly like the photos tagged under Japan.
I AM SO BEYOND EXCITED. this weekend. kari. me. sushi. taiko. frolicking. weekend of love. cannot. contain. excitement. !!!!!!!!!!!!
Already getting nervous about the reverse culture shock I will inevitably experience when I leave Fukuoka (whenever that may be). But optimistically, that just signifies me loving life here so happy days!
On another note, the other day, I went to a bookstore with a pretty good selection of books written in English. Heaven. In addition to actual literature (esp. by Japanese authors), I am lusting over several cooking/baking (Harumi's everyday cooking, etcetc), street art (Banksy), and street style-related books. Must.Resist.
--and speaking of street art:: saw this a while ago but never posted it. guerilla art!!
http://nylonmag.com/nylonblogs/blog/2010/05/19/bad-idea-or-good-idea-guerilla-art-project/
http://www.wonderhowto.com/wonderment/cyclists-art-attack-streets-berlin-guerilla-style-0115861/
also into this blog for street art (this is possibly the first of many posts to come in which i share with you glimpses of the billions [ok, exaggeration] of blogs i frequent)::
http://woostercollective.com/
Ps- amazing cooking adventure wiht h: bruschetta, crispy toasty baguette, thyme/garlic/salt/pepper steak, oregano/garlic/olive oil baked potato slices, salad, tea/milk. Consumed while watching the footy (ie world cup). Best. Night. Ever.
Also: this blog is hilarious...Engrish: it never gets old::: http://brog.engrish.com/
The other day, H and I wanted to drink some lemonade with our wine for din (pesto/cheese/chicken/spinach/tomato/lettuce on a baguette...nom!). I don't really drink a lot of lemonade in the states so I haven't realized until now that lemonade basically doesn't exist in this country. I think it's interesting that something can be so commonplace in one country and virtually non-existent in another (not even in import/international food stores!...this is also true for really good cheeses and whole grain bread). Perhaps this is a sign that I should be making my own...
On that note, it is also umeshu making season right now. Umeshu is SO delicious (a japanese liquer made from unripe/green ume [ie japanese plum], sugar, and shochu). The majority of families here have their own umeshu recipes and let their homemade alcohol steep and turn into fantasticalness in the dark recesses of their cupboards. Then by Christmas-time, it's ready to be busted out for holiday merriment and debauchery. mmm. Will keep you posted on this experiment. :)
my father is so fobtastic (fresh off the boat). today i thought it was father's day so i sent him an email. this is his reply:
(*side note- he frequently does business trips to japan...i love seeing how his command of english gets progressively worse as he spends more time in the motherland)
Hey Tasia,
Father's day is 20th. Next sunday....But arigato!!
We had dinner with your taiko people twice last week, 10th and yesterday. Papa and mama are very nice and other members are also good people.
When we met with them, they said I look just like you...uggg....
When daddy goes to Fukuoka or Kokura, I want to see them, again. And Brissa got the stuff from Kazumi san.
Hey, she is very funny lady. And Taka is also a nice person.
Love you,
Daddy (yes, I still call my father 'daddy'. And what?)
On another note, a couple of weeks ago my dad decided that he wanted to apply for a new job and asked me to help him with his resume/cover letter (at 2pm Japan time). When did he want to turn it in? The freaking next morning. Result: a very stressed-out Tasia.
So I'm editing his resume/cover letter and asking questions to clarify previous work experience, etc. My dad is technologically un-inclined so my sister had to be the liaison-- excerpts from our gchat exchange:
"too many questions! tell tasia, just create...whatever the fantastic will be!"
"no fun, your sister no fun. why she not coming with taiko people. your sister no fun. come homeeee!"
brissa: "he says NO NEED NO NEED NO NEED be vague NO NEED. this is what he is shouting now" (apparently because I was asking too many questions)
"if you don't understand (anything on the resume) just delete"
bahahahha. i heart my daddy!
So I worked with my san nen sei (third grade ie seniors) today. We went over key expressions: "How do you like...?", "What do you think about...?", "Why...?", and "Can you...?". These are some of the amusing responses I received. (Oh, at the end of class, we also had them write questions to me- hence the...oh, you'll see....)
A: How do you like fishing?
B: My dream is to become a professional fisher.
A: Don't be unreasonable.
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Same kid (original questions and his partner's answers):
Can you fly? Yes I can, I'm a bird, "Batman"
Can you help me? Of course!
Can you speak Japanese? Let's see...No! No! No!
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(This same kid misunderstood the "asking Tasia questions" activity and decided to write about me instead...I did not mention anything about fishing or flying.)
Ms. Tasia is from Hawaii. She is old twenty two. She likes fish, specially is a mackerel. But she can't fly.
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Why were you born?
I was born to protect people of all over the world.
Oh! It is wonderful!
Do somebody protect the earth? I do it!
Same kid's question to me---- Do you think the problem of environmental pollution? (Yay! I love this child!)
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Why are you let yours hair grow? (why don't you let your hair grow out?)
I think troublesome tie in my hair. (i think it is troublesome to tie my hair back)
Oh, I see. Let's growing. (Oh, I see. Let's grow our hair out)
Detest!!
---same kid: Question: Can you lend me you note this weekend?; Answer: Detest!!!
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What do you think about Koda Kumi? (popular singer)
I think its sexy.
Yes, I think so too.
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How do you like turtle culb (club)?
I don't like it. (says the president of the sea turtle club)
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NOOO lady gaga is international!:
How do you like Lady GaGa?
She is love her dance, boice.
Yes, I think so too.
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Can you eat a warm (worm)? No, I can't but I can eat bird.
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The many glorious questions for me...
How many boyfriend do you have?
Have you ever had boyfriends?
If you make a boyfriend who will you decide to choose in our class?
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How long have you known your Boyfriend?
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Do you like sports?
Have you ever kissed?
How long have you stayed in Japan?
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Can you answer current Japanese Prime Minister?
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Are you married? (NO!)
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What lungage do you speak the other?
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Can you take (ride) a bike?
What do you think about your boyfriend?
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Can I give my you my first love?...Can you help me be amorous? (me: ummm, we don't really use that word like that...*shows me dictionary..."what about this word"...*points to "love". Le sigh)....*late that day i see hima t lunch while I'm talking to other students- "I GIVE MY FIRST LOVE TO YOU!" ooooh geez.
Some of the things my coworkers confuse/annoy/disgust/amuse/shock me...
- blatantly nap at their desks
- pick their ears (with fingers and/or ear digger devices)
- cut their nails
- talk to themselves
- blow their noses (loudly)
- hack up a storm and not cover their mouths/wear masks
- brush teeth/gargle/spit in the sink where i wash my hands
- flush the toilet before peeing so as not to let anyone hear the actual trickle of their pee (save the whales!)
- not fully close their mouths when chewing food so as to make an audible (re: disgust-inducing) noise
- picking at scabs on their faces (okay, this is just one coworker)
- creepily looking in my direction and quickly looking away when i make eye contact (same coworker as above)
Nice things my coworkers do...- give me food/sweets/omiyage
- smile and attempt to speak to me in broken english/japanese (oh! good morning to you too!)
--- surprisingly, I think the nice things outweigh the not so nice ones. :)
"The cake looked very delicious. It was at the front of the cake shop. I bought it and ate it. It made me happy. But I lost money to go home by bus. I shouted "Oh my god!". Walking people looked at me."
genius.
hello blogging world! I'm alive! No pictures to post but here are some entertaining responses I have come across in grading my students' work. The list is never ending and constantly increasing. LOVE.
Assignment ("Talking about feelings")- 1st years: talk about something that made you happy, sad, embarassed, [insert other adjective here]. Use the key expression "this made/makes me ____".
Response: ""talking about feeling" was very difficult. My classmates could wrote it. But I couldn't wrote it. It made me annoy.""
Response: "Since yesterday I have been very hungry. Because I didn't eat anything. My mother didn't make dinner. And I was furious with her. This made me despair."
Response: "Mr. Sera is nice friend. He has gentle eyes. It make me happy."
Assignment- 3rd years: Write 3-5 sentences about a memorable experience.
Response: "Afterwards we went to eat yakiniku at West. We ate to much meet and rice, ice, furuts. My most favorite foods is ice into zenzai. It was new discover. You are let's try!" :)
Response: "My most memorable (experience is my) first kiss. Because it is important first kiss. I was thirteen years old. My most funny friend with talk. Because, it is exciting Love Story. ♥Love is Great♥!"
Assignment/activity- 1st years- Ask your friends about their favorite things. Write the answers in the table below.
Responses:
Favorite foods
- storovery
- ice--I was like...eating disorder? Apparently "ice" or "aisu" in Japanese refers to ice cream, popsicles, sorbet, etcetc.
- prin (pudding)
- atsuage (me: 'how do you say that in English?', *blank stare, me: 'fried tofu', student writes: 'flied tofu'
- carry and lice
- canedy
- choko, pan, apporu (sometimes my students think it is acceptable English to write in Romanji because it is English letters)
Favorite animal: locust (MAJIDE!!!???- ie "WTF, SERIOUSLY??")
Favorite sport: balleeball
Assignment- 2nd years: compare you interests/favorites/things you want to do with a friend
Response: "i want to be in a future a president, but miyamoto wants to be a god"
Assignment- 3rd years: Answer the question "Why do you (not) want to learn English?"
Response: "I want to learn English to marry a white man and have mixed babies." le sigh.
*from another ALT friend's student:::
Assignment: You have just arrived in America and are being asked questions at the airport. Question: "Why did you want to come to America?"
Response: "I came here to buy cocaine."
Assignment- 1st years- [as part of a larger activity]- come up with an original question to ask your peers.
Original Question: "Are you tensai?" ie are you genius?;;; "Are you woman?" o___O
Assignment: "What are you looking forward to this year?"
Response: "Making a girlfriend"
...oooh the kids.
oh.em.gee. the other day, my mom sent me an email update on life. an excerpt:
*this is monchichi. he is hideous.
