life before The Blog
i've recently noticed that my blog entries started in january. what did i do all day before then? september to january, at my desk every day...without The Blog? egads. heebily jeeblilies.
i guess that when i first got here the job seemed much more stressful. when you're trying to get used to everything...the school culture, the work ethic, the language, the teachers, what is expected of you...it's a lot better now that i know the deal. well i suppose i can say that about most of my life here.
today i feel as i do on a typical friday. somewhat dreading a boring afternoon without classes, but also knowing that at 3:45 i'll be walking out into the parking lot and getting into my car, the beginning of a fresh weekend in front of me. on fridays at elementary schools i'm technically supposed to work 9-4:45, but i cheekily started showing up at 8 so i can leave an hour earlier. also i like having more time in the morning before i teach so that the teachers can meet with me. there's no sense in me spending an extra hour at my desk in the afternoon when half of the teachers aren't even here anymore. i'll sacrifice that extra hour of sleep in the morning.
today i had my 5th and 6th grade students make snowflakes and star-paper chains. i also gave them each a card on which they had to draw a picture of what they wanted for christmas. i offered them suggestions (bike, terebi geimu, baseball glove...) but they all just sat there with that oh-so annoying wakkaaaaaanai! expression on their faces. eeeeeeeeee? afterwards even their teacher was talking about it to the others, that they couldn't (or refused to) think of anything to draw. it's not like i was asking them to write a freakin' novella in english about the impact of desire on children during the holiday season.
i just got back from the biggest lunch in the world. a huge bowl of rice with crumbled dry seaweed and sesame seeds, soup with noodles, fried fish, salad, milk AND a strawberry and cheese-filled crepe for dessert! i've got 6 hours to regain my appetite before my dinner plans tonight.
i've just been hanging out with the ichi-nenseis after lunch. (6 year olds) i've decided this is my favourite age. they're just so oozing with cuteness it's hard to contain. i taught them english hand-clapping games but have forgotten most of them so i just make up the parts i don't remember. and then they practice and teach their friends when i'm not here. then i go back and they want to do it again but of course i've forgotten the made-up parts.
in other life altering matters i've self-administered a hair cut which looks decent..however...it's decentness is dependent on a storeito paama. so this will be my next move.
kyo no tenki wa miserable desu. i think it's been raining for about eight days straight. at least.
18 school days. roughly 40 classes. 2 more play rehearsal weekends. 26 full days till...holland. till i'm sitting in my dad's apartment, being stuffed with licorice, rusk, cheese and his insane cooking. till i'm browsing the crazy streets of amsterdam, dodging trams and bicycles. till i'm having a beer at the kolony cafe with marijke and jackson. till i'm shopping at H & M, Zara and HEMA in den haag. till i'm trying raw herring or gerookte paling from a vendor at the veenendaals markt.
and, while i'm thinking of special days, HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL. she never reads the blog but it's out there anyway.
i guess that when i first got here the job seemed much more stressful. when you're trying to get used to everything...the school culture, the work ethic, the language, the teachers, what is expected of you...it's a lot better now that i know the deal. well i suppose i can say that about most of my life here.
today i feel as i do on a typical friday. somewhat dreading a boring afternoon without classes, but also knowing that at 3:45 i'll be walking out into the parking lot and getting into my car, the beginning of a fresh weekend in front of me. on fridays at elementary schools i'm technically supposed to work 9-4:45, but i cheekily started showing up at 8 so i can leave an hour earlier. also i like having more time in the morning before i teach so that the teachers can meet with me. there's no sense in me spending an extra hour at my desk in the afternoon when half of the teachers aren't even here anymore. i'll sacrifice that extra hour of sleep in the morning.
today i had my 5th and 6th grade students make snowflakes and star-paper chains. i also gave them each a card on which they had to draw a picture of what they wanted for christmas. i offered them suggestions (bike, terebi geimu, baseball glove...) but they all just sat there with that oh-so annoying wakkaaaaaanai! expression on their faces. eeeeeeeeee? afterwards even their teacher was talking about it to the others, that they couldn't (or refused to) think of anything to draw. it's not like i was asking them to write a freakin' novella in english about the impact of desire on children during the holiday season.
i just got back from the biggest lunch in the world. a huge bowl of rice with crumbled dry seaweed and sesame seeds, soup with noodles, fried fish, salad, milk AND a strawberry and cheese-filled crepe for dessert! i've got 6 hours to regain my appetite before my dinner plans tonight.
i've just been hanging out with the ichi-nenseis after lunch. (6 year olds) i've decided this is my favourite age. they're just so oozing with cuteness it's hard to contain. i taught them english hand-clapping games but have forgotten most of them so i just make up the parts i don't remember. and then they practice and teach their friends when i'm not here. then i go back and they want to do it again but of course i've forgotten the made-up parts.
in other life altering matters i've self-administered a hair cut which looks decent..however...it's decentness is dependent on a storeito paama. so this will be my next move.
kyo no tenki wa miserable desu. i think it's been raining for about eight days straight. at least.
18 school days. roughly 40 classes. 2 more play rehearsal weekends. 26 full days till...holland. till i'm sitting in my dad's apartment, being stuffed with licorice, rusk, cheese and his insane cooking. till i'm browsing the crazy streets of amsterdam, dodging trams and bicycles. till i'm having a beer at the kolony cafe with marijke and jackson. till i'm shopping at H & M, Zara and HEMA in den haag. till i'm trying raw herring or gerookte paling from a vendor at the veenendaals markt.
and, while i'm thinking of special days, HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL. she never reads the blog but it's out there anyway.
posted by Justine at 10:15 p.m.
5 Comments:
i know i can't wait until holland either... weve got snow here, lots of it, but apparantly the temp is going up up up again next week. to pass the time i always go to this blog :
http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/
its supposed to be a daily dose of imagery and most of the pics are of Toronto and some of oxford england. the guy who's site it is lives in toronto and makes it look quite lovely! check it out.
ps. look at today's pic (nov 25th) and you'll see what i mean about the snow.
hey...happy birthday?? i know its today, tomorrow or sometime soon. i know, i know, i suck but i'm positive i'm in the right ballpark...
xoxoxo
est
arigatou est!
cool mj, thanks for the link.
happy bday! (did you get the pic from tam and me?)
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