OHHHH OHH!!! OH my goodness!!! I'm so excited to share about this I had to retype this 3 times because my happiness was faster than I could type!!! OHHH!!! SO EXCITING!!!! Shan and I kinda looking around the shopping district when we stopped at a cafe to get a drink... I really wanted coffee I hadn't had good coffee in a while... and IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!! We get a menu and see a picture of the decorated coffees... and we're like sure we'll get one of those.. it was 4 dollars for the drink... SO GOOOOOOOOOOD look at the designs!!! Aren't they wonderful!!!! *drools* I will go back... I WILL....
Later in the evening we met up with Shan's buddies from her training group as well as my performance supervisor and his girlfriend - all wonderful people...
But going to Izakayas are expensive.. stupid sitting/drinking charges and expensive food.. what the heck everything is expensive in Japan if you don't eat at home... hahahah...
Nov 5 - Oh Sunday!!!! Shan and I didn't get a chance to really find out about the nagoya english fellowship and decided to go to the local church I've been attending... Of course, God figured it out for us! It happened every beginning of the month other than communion (they use cubes of bread and grape juice) a US missionary pastor visits. It happens that his wife attends the Nagoya english fellowship. Also after the service we got yes... free food again... curry this time. The real exciting thing was that he leads a english/japanese bible study for the 2 youth at the church... AHHH the first time in what felt like a very long time we praise God with songs we could sing - As the Deer and He is Exalted, and we discussed a bible passage.... like a bible study!!! OHHH SO EXCITING!!!! Pastor Andy got our numbers and passed it on to the nagoya english fellowship - which called both of us that very night! God does some crazy things
Nov 6 - Boo time to say good bye to Shannon as she heads back to Fukui. I think I spent that day in my apartment mostly on my computer and cooking..... good rest before I go off again soon.
Nov 7 - I taught with another teacher in my area today, actually the only other girl in my area - Duc... she's a vietnamese from Australia... cool eh? Afterward she invited me over to her place for dinner, and it was nice we watched an old classic movie - To catch a thief and just chatted... She loves Dan Brown novels... but I felt it was too early to go into the whole da vinci code discussion, especially if I haven't even seen/read the thing yet.... but one day perhaps.... right now its not about sharing my faith in that way... I have to get to know these ppl first and establish a relationship that proves that I really care before trying to save their souls... I really felt that and kind of was reaffirmed with Steph's email -about a story that a pastor (Bill) shared about working at Union Gospel Mission.
Nov 8 - Off to my school in Takayama - an limited express 2 hour ride... OUCH this was just one of those bad days... trying to cut it too close to my reserved seat train, I ended up missing it!!!... but it was okay, I could make the next one without being late. Then while I was pulling out my material in the classroom I realized I left my profile (to show the kids and parents things about me) at the school I taught the day before (which I will probably never go back to any time soon). GAHHH...
I was SO tired too... but I made it through my lessons, but as if they could sense it my games were over used (repeat lesson for practically every class for this halloween stuff) , the students didn't have as much fun as I had hoped.
I was stupid enough not to bring a phrase book with me thinking it was a tourist stop there would be more english - yeah ha, not really.... So I'm out on the street at like 9pm looking for food... and I get into this one place that looked like a restraunt (there were lots of Izakayas - bar/food places but I didn't want that) Poor ppl only spoke japanese, and I couldn't do a thing with the menu. They were nice enough to lead me to another branch where there was english... but then I got lost in the dark looking for it... and ALL the signs started to look the same... I even asked some guys which have been obviously drinking... bad move, they kind of scared me, I think earlier another guy tried to hit on me but I answered quickly and walked fast.... drunk/obviously had a drink older men are scary... Luckily I managed to say to the right guy (the more sober of the bunch) that i didn't speak japanese... and he physically held his friends back from trying to lead me to the restraunt... they just gave me instructions... I think he knew I was scared... i was very thankful for that....
I STILL couldnt' find this place, giving up I headed back to the hotel to ask, but of course their english speaking staff could only say a few words of english.... finally some delivery guy with good english helps us out.... and he redirects me back to the restaurant I was trying to get to....
I head out again.. this time telling myself to match the characters and find the place! Total relief.... It was still an Izakaya it turns out.. but yeah food was pretty good... skewers... and rice balls... 15 dollars! Lesson is... eat only from the convienant store.
Nov 9 - ahhh enjoying the internet... I enjoy a nice cup of free expresso coffee and head out for some sightseeing - note below...
This was the first time I was working with 2 classes with students with special needs... Twin girls that only mouthed words, and a boy that was slower perhaps retarded because he was older than the other kids.
I was pleasantly surprised how smoothly the classes went... For the girls I had to learn to read their mouths... and the other students tried to help.... They were sweet girls but maybe being twins in Japan?!.... I really wonder why the mouthing words only and it wasn't just english! Apparently they only whisper to each other...
For the older kid, I noticed sadly - while I couldn't understand I knew - that other students teased him terribly all the time. He was very straight forward - quickly recognizing an unfamilar teacher he asked me what my name was and introduced himself... he was much smarter than I expected knowing much english vocabulary.... he only got distracted a little and randomly yelled stuff out... maybe he was just really good this week, because I've read up on him (there are notes left by previous teachers) and they felt he was problematic to the point they had to stop the lesson....
I pulled out a new game today - mixed relays with vocab words.... they LOVED this game!!! I even had students with a bit of attitude at the beginning of class at the end of class give me a thumbs up telling me it was a good game and fun.... AHHH so good....
Nov 10 - ahhh today.... I basically stayed in the hotel till i had to go - enjoying the internet and watched the canuck... GAHHH loose SO BADLY..... sighhh... if I'm able to see a game it would be nice if they could actually win eh?!... arhhhh its true everything that Brian Burke touches turns to gold....
In my Jr High class today, only one student showed up.. but man, one on one really is great... He was an awesome student! He tried to spell words and thing of answers by himself, I was able to have an extensive conversation with him.. and we shared a few laughs too! I was coughing and I told him how I got sick ... I was coughing a bit much and he asked me "are you okay?" Seriously some of these classes don't know ANY phrases of english... but he was just right on the ball... I had also asked him what he does after he goes home and he told me he watches tv then we laughed when he said he did only a little bit of studying... then I asked what time do you sleep? He said 1 am! I was like whoa that must be lots of tv.... INSANE this kid gets up at 6am to do homework!... He averages 5 hours of sleep... he's only 12!!!!!!!... Alas, this is very normal in Japan.... He was so a kid and enjoying himself... but next year when he starts exams for high schools he'll become one of those zombie japanese kids... sigh sigh....
Ohhhhhh tonight i ate street food.... well kind of... its still a shop..... 3.50 CAD for 12 takoyakis!!!!Look forward to heading back to Gifu tomorrow... Only get 1 day off though! But hopefully it'll be a good one, I'm going to try and go to that Nagoya English fellowship - hope they remember to contact me about the details...
As things start to go back to a routine, I'm hoping that my devos will get back on track too...
3 comments:
wow those are some coool capuccinos...i wonder if i could order a "kame"? and HEY...i do not have 6 pairs of...(chotto matte; 1, 2, 3...) ok never mind. that doesn't even include the wooden sandals i bought either...but hey, only 900yen!
gonk!
fyi... ian's livin vicariously through you.
Hi, are you in Japan right now? We are teaching in Takayama...but I found your blog trying to find a church here!
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