Okay, so I know I've kind of been slacking lately with my blogging duties, sorry about that. I have just been feeling a little tired these last few days. It's not because I've been working particularly hard either, if anything it's the opposite... I think the boredom caused some slight exhaustion. On Tuesday EVERY SINGLE STUDENT canceled their lesson. That's sort of like being a normal school teacher, getting to class, and discovering every child is absent. It was crazy and it actually would have happened again the next day if I hadn't happened to have a student coming in for a private lesson. I can't help but feel a little freaked out about the fact that this happened. Even though I keep telling myself it's just a weird coincidence, in the back of my head I keep wondering if maybe it's because of me. I figure though that if my students did have a problem with my teaching they would have complained to someone by now since they're paying big bucks for me to teach them. Today was better, I taught five lessons and tomorrow is my busiest day of the week with six lessons if everyone shows up.
Really I'm really just excited to get to the weekend. This Sunday is my first play rehearsal and then I'm meeting up with Jenn in Yokohama for lunch. I'm so happy to be getting started with the play so soon. I really need to meet some new people and get involved in some activities. The other day I called up the JCC of Japan (Jewish Community Center) to see what their schedule was like. Unfortunately they are in the process of moving to a new location in Tokyo so their activity schedule is fairly light, but now I think I'll have somewhere to go for Passover, so that's good at least. I'm also considering getting in touch with someone to do a language exchange(there are lots of websites with people looking for exchange partners). My mom suggested it and I think it might be a good idea, but I'm also kind of freaked out about it since my Japanese level is so incredibly low. I just feel that before I begin exchanging language I should at least know the basics of the language that I want to learn and build up my vocabulary a bit. Maybe I can handle it though. The other day I went to a restaurant I hadn't visited before that's down the street from my school and I successfully managed to communicate with the owner when he asked me (in Japanese) where I was from and how long I'd been here for. It just takes me a while to figure out what I'm being asked and then a little more time to form an answer. He didn't seem to mind though and he gave me some free food so I was quite content. I also have a couple of boys in one of my children's lessons and despite my efforts to get them to stop, they always speak in Japanese to one another. The cool part is that I'm starting to be able to make out a few bits and pieces of what they say or ask me in Japanese. I still have an incredibly long way to go before I'm even semi-competent enough to converse normally in Japanese, but little events like those give me hope and an extra push to keep me motivated.
9 years ago
1 comment:
I'm so incredibly thrilled to read that you managed to communicate with the of restaurant owner when he asked you where you were from and how long you'd been there, and that you're beginning to pick up bits of what people are saying! Good for you! I hope you won't let your basic level of Japanese stop you from finding a language exchange buddy--I really don't think that will be a problem. Even if it DOES turn out to be an issue, at least you'll know. I think that you could really benefit from it though. :-)
Don't let the canceled students freak you out...I'm sure it's just a coincidence. Be sure to let us know how the rehearsal goes!
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