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Broadcasting to an audience of three (and a goldfish)...
Comment, ramblings and musings... life through the eyes of a Japanologist...
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Friday, September 20, 2002 |
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The good thing about staying late at work is that I can go straight to Mejiro, the superb yakiniku shop by the office. As opposed to last Friday, when I was there until 2 o'clock, I only stayed for an hour and a half this time, because I was tired, and because there weren't any Officer Cadets around to talk to.
Not long after I'd arrived, two older men came in and sat next to me, and one of them glanced at me and said straightaway to his friend, 'We should say 'haroo'.' His friend, however, knew me from previous Fridays, and hurriedly told the first man that my Japanese was perfect. He was no doubt spurred on my the glare-to-end-all-glares I gave them... I was just tired enough that I wasn't in the mood to let comments like this ride.
Anyway, it was obvious that the first man didn't believe that my Japanese was good, because everytime I said anything he would whisper to his friend that I'd just said something (like 'beer, please'), and in the end the second man started apologising, and bought me a beer! Perhaps I should use my glare a little more often... The man who bought me a beer also kept wanting to shake my hand, which was fair enough, but his first finger was missing from the knuckle, which made shaking his hand a very strange feeling...
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No rest for the wicked.
After my school visit had finished, I had the rest of the preparations for the two events to complete. Copying recipes, putting a quiz together, making sure nothing's been forgotten, etc., doesn't really sound like much, but it all takes time. Added to which, the three-day weekend meant that I had to prepare something (about South America!) for my visit to Koyo Elementary School on Tuesday, not to mention making sure that my speech was completely ready. And in addition to all this, the fact that Tuesday is completely taken up with a school visit and the speech in Ondo meant that I had to prepare something for my Naval Base class on Wednesday! In the end, I was in the office until just after eight.
I have to say, though, that I work better (1) when I'm in the office on my own like this, and (2) when I have lots of deadlines. Perhaps I should make sure that I'm always preparing for five things at once!
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After a rushed lunch, went off to Etajima Elementary School. I had lessons with the first and second years, and they wanted to know about elementary schools in Britain, so I took Wendy along for an American perspective as well.
Both lessons started with the children introducing one aspect of what they did at school; the first years read some Japanese out loud, and the second years did addition and subtraction. The first years were very proud that they'd moved on to reading Japanese with kanji in it; the second years were interesting, meanwhile, in the way they coped with carrying tens, etc., in their sums. Afterwards, I introduced a few aspects of elementary schools in Britain, and then let the children ask questions. I also showed the second years how to do addition in English.
This sort of lesson is good, because it introduces something to which the children can relate. I had my doubts as to whether the first and second years weren't too young for this sort of lesson, but on the whole, they coped with it admirably.
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Went to get the shopping for the cookery class and the barbecue. Okamoto-san came with me, but even so it still took two-and-a-half hours! Part of this was that we had to go to various shops to get different things; but equally, part of it was because Mrs. O suggested we drive to a little vegetable shop on the far side of Ogaki. Fair enough- but the vegetable shop didn't in fact have any vegetables we wanted! It was a little place where the local farmers sell what they've produced; well, obviously nobody local produces pumpkin, aubergine, onions, carrots or peppers. Which is a problem if what you want happens to be pumpkin, aubergine, onions, carrots and peppers...
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Breakfast Show Staple Randomhaiku of the day (from The Genuine Haiku Generator)
bicycles squeal, gems
moving, fumbling, heartily
lake vanishes, smooth
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© Copyright 2003 Nathan Duckworth.
Updated: 8/1/03; 8:40:32 pm.
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