Brian's Japan Adventure

October 23rd, 2007

A New Deal

Got up as scheduled, but decided to go to Bitch-Takahashi earlier than usual. I figured I was up, so why not?  That way I could take my time walking up the mountain and maybe relax a few minutes before class started. I wish I could do that on Wednesdays, but my schedule is so tight it can’t be changed. But anyway, I shifted my train schedule to a half-hour earlier, and it worked just fine.

While I’m waiting for the train to arrive, my cell rings and it’s Mrs. Y. She says the woman in charge of the parties on Saturday wants to meet and discuss things on Friday in Mrs. Y’s office. I say that’s good, because I have questions about the ages of this children and so forth. Mrs. Y said that I wouldn’t need to prepare a lesson or anything, but I should have some games or activities. OK, but from my point of view, that pretty much is a lesson.

I have to admit, this children’s Halloween party thing sounded too good to be true, and it just might turn out to be the case. I wonder what this lady is going to try to spring on me at the last minute Friday?  Mrs. Y just found out that this lady wants me to do another party on Monday afternoon. Mrs. Y says that was not in the negotiations and it was an out-of-the-blue surprise to her, but there will be additional money involved if I choose to do it. The odd part was that Mrs Y. was very clear that this was entirely optional and that she didn’t want me to accept or refuse the Monday thing right now.  I’m just guessing, but I suspect she thinks the same as I do about a last minute surprise. I’ve been there; I know all about customers who want to change the deal at the last minute. Those are the customers you try to “fire.”  Then again, another two-hour party on Monday should be an additional $60-$80 assuming the hourly pay is the same. At least from my current viewpoint and assumptions, that’s not bad. My opinion may change after I talk with this woman about the details.

Teaching In The Wrong City All This Time?

So with the new meeting scheduled for Friday (which is now going to cut down on my Internet/Library time), I get on the train to Bitchu-Takahashi. The ride is uneventful, but when I get there, I see the sign says “Bitchu-Takahashi” in both English and Hiragana, as all the train stations do.  As I walk up the road on the way to the university, I notice time and again that the Hiragana on the signs for the hotel, police station, community center, etc. all say “Takahashi” without the “Bitchu” part. As my reading ability improves, I keep noticing little things that I had not picked up on before. I have noticed that some of the students there refer to the town as Takahashi as well. A mystery!

I eventually arrive at the school office to sign in and while I am there, I ask my contact person in the office about the names. Yup, sure enough the town is Takahashi City; Bitchu-Takahashi is just the name of the train station. Oh. That makes sense now that I think about it. Locally, the big train station is Okayama Station, while the “little station” near the apartment is called Hokaiin Station, but I don’t live in Hokaiin; I don’t think there even is a city by that name.  They can name the stations anything they want. So from now on, I am not going to the university at Bitchu-Takahashi, since there is no such place. I spend my Tuesdays in Takahashi City.  Yes, it really did take me 8 weeks to learn this. Duh!

Beyond that surprise, everything went pretty much normally. I had the same people as last week in my first class, with one new addition. I now have two Chinese and two Cambodian students. Lessee; two of them do English, Japanese, and Khmer, while two others do English, Japanese, and Chinese. I do English. I feel seriously out numbered and out-brained here.  On the good side, the marshmallows made a big impression. They were shocked that I remembered, and even more pleased that they liked marshmallows. I am told they have them in China, but they are called Cotton Candy there, because they resemble cotton balls. That makes sense, but what do they call actual cotton candy? No, I didn’t ask.

The second class was just like last week, only one student. But this time it was the other student. The one who missed last week was there this week, and the one who showed up last week missed this week. The classes are optional, this is only a support center, so I never know what I’m going to get.  So basically, I re-did last week’s lessons and activities with her that I did with the other student last week.  This way I didn’t have to use any new materials. I wonder who will be there next week?

Then I came home, stopping at the carryout and also buying a few little things at the corner convenience store. I always seem to run out of food on Tuesdays, which is a problem because everything is closed by the time I get home on Wednesdays.  Now I have enough snacks and junk to hold me till Thursday afternoon. I can eat real food at lunchtime and have a bag of chips or something after getting home in the late evening.

I’m all ready for tomorrow’s classes. The old ladies have their restaurant and food vocabulary. The earlier class will read a news story; I have several printouts and haven’t decided which one to use yet. I have the Alzheimer’s article to hand out as well, but that might be for optional home reading and not class work.  I have another game or two as well that they may appreciate.  The Kindergarteners… I guess we’ll review the cards from last week; those were new cards, so I guess a second viewing won’t hurt. I am getting uncomfortable with using flash cards each and every week, but this was the principal’s idea, so if he’s happy, I’m happy.  I may take along my Japanese textbook as well for extra practice on the train or lunch time.  I need to look particularly well-practiced and brilliant this time I think, and even if it’s not necessary more practice writing in Japanese certainly won’t kill me.

And that’s about it for today. It’s 8:20 right now. I hear Marc in the living room watching “The Two Towers” again. I think this is the fourth time he’s watched it. The movie selection here seemed pretty good when we moved in, but they’re all used up now and it’s rerun time. I’m about to turn off the computer and pick up “Best Buddhist Writings,” which I started last night. Last night I only read the Introduction and the first essay. The book has about 30 essays, so one a day is going to take way too long. I have to decide whether I want to double or triple-up the readings or just read two books simultaneously, something I don’t like to do. Wow, these are really tough decisions, eh?  I’d much rather have a dilemma like that than the stuff I was worrying about on Tuesday night a few weeks go.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 at 3:14 am and is filed under Japan, Teaching. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.