I made it to Obu and I have been staying at the beautiful Az Inn Obu since Thursday (One of my adult student's father owns the hotel). It is brand new, high-tech (the key turns on the electricity) and super clean. I love it here. They have the most wonderful bed and I want the down bedspread and bean-filled pillow for my apartment!
Mateo and I travelled to Obu on Thursday morning. We immediately starting observing the two foreign teachers who were here and then on Friday we started teaching. I really had no idea what I was doing. Training prepared me for nothing. My adult classes went okay...and then it happened. In my first kid's class the little girl looked at me with such horror that I froze. Luckily my lessons on Saturday went so much better and the kids in those classes were actually laughing.
On Saturday night my office had a welcoming/farwell party. I thought it would be a little get together in or near the office...boy was I wrong. They rented a bus, tons of adult students came and we went to this Japanese restaurant about 15 minutes away. There we all sat at long tables. I sat at a table with Sueanne and some students (I had taught two of them earlier in the day) but at some point Sueanne was told to eat in another room. This left me with a table of people I didn't know...
The food was amazing and it kept getting better as the dishes arrived. Sueanne and Peter had to give a speech and then Mateo and I were introduced. At this point Manager told me that I had to make a small speech. WHAT!?!?! In front of about 50 people??? Right now?!?!?!? So I babbled about something and was about to run away when Manager grabbed my shirt and told everyone in Japanese about my Japanese middle name and how my mom was Japanese...they all went 'aaahhhhh' and then I was allowed to escape. When I returned to the table, the students started asking me everything from 'why don't you speak Japanese?' to 'What's your favourite sport?'. One older gentleman asked me about the 'situation' with Quebec and one girl asked me about religions in Canada. It was a night of great conversation, delicious food and lots of laughing.
At that point I thought we'd go home (it was about 11:30pm)...I was tired...again, I was wrong. Manager asked me where I thought I was going...and that I had to stay for karaoke. What? You want me to sing infront of some of my students, my co-workers and my boss??? Damnit. So we all headed upstairs for some crazy Japanese karaoke. I swear they had every English song I have ever heard of and more. One of my students started things off with some Britney Spears and it continued until 2:00am! And yes, I was forced to sing...Beauty and the Beast of all things...one student just forced the microphone into my hand...I didn't even know the words! My Britney Spears singing student sang another awesome song that was like country hoedown met dance music. All I remember is that the chorus said '5,6,7,8' and she knew all of the words!
The madness finally ended and we all headed back home. I was informed that office parties usually involve either karaoke or bowling. I say, bring on the bowling anyday. Karaoke is meant for friends, when you can sing Spice Girls terribly and not worry about what your boss with think of you the next day.
6 comments:
See Laura, you should have come out to the Gladstone back when I'd bring it up ALL THE TIME... you could have even gotten away with calling it 'studying'. In any case, it sounds like you're having a great time, and your doing tons of stuff, which means that you'll be an excellent tour guide when I manage to get out there to visit (and give my state of mind lately, I ready to take off tomorrow).
It's great to hear from you, and continue out keep us posted.
Fil
Ps. You never did mention exactly why that little girl was looking at you in horror... did you find out the specifics?
Pps. The RING was on CBC last night, and a Jack Nicholson movie on TBS... a double night of horror. Too bad you missed it.
Oh, and one more thing: when are you moving into your apartment? It's nice to hear that you're currently staying in a hotel, and your students are among Japan's uber-rich, but really... I'm REALLY REALLY curious about this 10'x10' room....
Fil
Ps. Yeah, I'm currently living vicariously though you. Cheers.
Heehee, Sueanne was actually told to leave the room? Awesome. I mean, i'm sure she's nice and all, and i'm sure the room to which she was sent also, you know, contained food, but still. Hilarious. I guess "Manager" (is the school manager's name too difficult to type, or something?) decided that Sueanne was putting a damper on your mingling...
Also, how can you not know the lyrics - or at very least some of them - to Beauty&theBeast? Me thinks i smell a lie... ;)
Taryn, I am with you on all counts! Every girl knows the lyrics to Beauty and the Beast (and, I suspects, Geoff Zingah as well!), and it's far less shameful to fess up to that than to croon Spice Girls! However, I must protest that karaoke is meant for BIRTHDAY PARTIES, but Laura wouldn't know that because of her "cousin"... Finally coming back to bite ya, L'Ell! We had a private room! And yes, I can hold a grudge a year and a half later!
:D
Glad to hear that you only petrified one child, and that your second day of teaching was much better. Remember, if you ever need to truly terrify any of your students, just tell them terrible but true tales of the Grammar Warden. I hear she disembowels you if you split your infinitives. I'm not going to even start on Fil for some of his egregious errors, but that red ink I used to mark up papers might just be blood... moihahaha!
oh man, I did use video mode to record some of the karaoke moments. I must figure out how to put them on my brog...anyone know?? Hacker Steph?? If not,Ill find someway of showing you guys the 5,6,7,8 country dance song!!
I would recommend uploading said videos to "You Tube". It's all the rage these days for posting video clips. You may not be able to get the video to show up directly on your brog (probably for the best given bandwidth issues), but you'll be able to link to the videos so that we can still see them!
Hacker Steph to the rescue!
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