So it has been a loooong time since I last posted -who knew that moving country could keep you this busy!
Yesterday something happened that I really wanted to write about. For the past month the English teachers had been planning a bbq on the beach. Sounds good right? So the bbq slowly morphed into a combined fun event and the otsukarekai (kind of farewell and thanks for working hard party) for the student teacher. So the night before the party I go to Karaoke with my friend, and purely by chance we bump into all of the teachers from my school, they tell me to join them and so I ask if its ok for my friend to come as well. No problem. In the karaoke room there are no English teachers but all the teachers start to tell me, enthusiastically, how they are all going to come to the bbq. I was a bit surprised but just went with it, I had been at my visiting schools for the past few days so just assumed I had missed hearing the party was expanding. The more people the more fun it will be right?
Day of the bbq, I got 2 shocks.
Shock No. 1
The sight of another ALT walking down to the beach. I assumed that they had just come to snorkel at the beach (I knew there was a plan to do this, just at a different venue I thought) Turns out the student teacher had invited him. No problem, it is just unusual to invite non-work colleagues to a work event in Japan, but this was a pretty relaxed affair, so as I said no problem. Except for all the teachers assumed I had invited him. Furthermore they also assumed he was my boyfriend. So i spent a great portion of my time explaining to EVERY teacher there that no I didn't invite him and no he wasn't my boyfriend (the teachers don't gossip about things like that at the party, that would be rude, however it meant I had to explain it too many times to count).
Shock No. 2
At the end of the party the head of the English department gives a speech (in japanese), so he mentions the student teacaher is leaving and says thank you to her for working hard and good luck with her study. Then he mentions me, and how I am leaving and I am just standing there trying to understand what he is saying. Is this my leaving party and nobody told me? A whole month before I actually leave? are they trying to get rid of me early? Or just figure it is easier to merge the two leaving parties? (the last option being the least likely but also the most worrying, that they didnt like me enough to organise a leaving party closer to the time for me) However I knew it couldn't be the last option because when he announced my leaving a lot of the teachers basically shouted 'we don't want you to leave' (iyada) So I am desperately trying to work out whether this is an announcement that this was my leaving party or just an announcement that I will be leaving in the not too distant future. But i am frozen. I am confused and it is all in Japanese and my brain shut down. So I don't say anything.
On the drive back into town I ask the teachers in the car with me, 'was that my leaving party?' They said 'yeah, kinda, but we will have other opportunities to hang out'. A little bit indefinitive - I am trying to process this, does that mean that was my big finish? My final official chance to say thanks to people and keep in touch and I somehow managed to miss it? (pretty typical for me actually)
Fast forward to a bit later and we are in a bar. Currently three of us, one of the other people is an English teacher. So whent he other teacher goes to the toiled, she tells me, we didnt want a big tearful farewell party we thought a bbq would be nice and because you are leaving so many teachers came'. She was obviously saying this because the other teacher went to the toilet and as she finished speaking he came back and she changed the topic. So i am left thinking so that WAS my leaving party? Why didnt anyone tell me. I feel like crying. I explain the situation to a few other ALTs who also happen to be in the same bar and they are also confused. Some of them write it off as 'japanese people do things differently' others are equally confused knowing that this is uncommon for the Japanese who love ceremony and finishing things properly.
Anyway the night goes on a bit and I start feeling really tired and am still feeling upset. If I had known that was my farewell party I would have behaved differently, I would have spoken more to everyone, thanked them for comming to say goodbye to me, and a whole range of things that I didnt manage to do before. Anyway I start to feel overwhelemed, and since I am close to tears it is not the appropriate place to discuss things with the teachers. It wouldn't do to show them that their kind gesture and all the hard work they put into organising such an event was completely unappreciated by me. So I go home to escape. When I am alone it overwhelms me. I am so confused and hurt and I start crying hysterically. The idea of leaving two years of my life behind without the opportunity to say goodbye properly is devastating. So I do what any reasonable adult does in such a situation. I call my mother. She calms me down enough so that I can sleep (although i am crying up until that point).
The next day I wake up unreasonably early - I mean 7am on a sunday is just not fair, but it is a pattern for recent weeks - and I remember everything that happened and start crying again. it is ridiculous and I know I have to do something proactive or I will never stop. So I email my teacher at 8am and dont hear anything beack until 12ish. She managed to have a lie-in (not that I'm jealous...) In the email, I explained that I was upset and confused and asked if that was the official leaving part or not. So when she calls me back I explain why I was upset and ask again if it was my leaving party, and she tells me it was a chance to make good memories, and the reason they mentioned my leaving was first and foremost to make sure other teachers were aware I was leaving and also because in Japanese society they need an excuse to throw a party. They dont just have them for the sake of it. She also says that it is too early to have my official leaving party as I'm here for another month (echoing my earlier thoughts) and that they will have another big one before I leave and that they will tell me beforehand that it is my leaving party! (Thank goodness!)
All that stress was for nothing. But that is the difficulty of living in a foreign country when you are not fluent in the language, or are unaware of a particular cultural aspect of the society. In this case it the was the stress of not having a perfect understanding of what was said at the actual party combined with not having the opportunity to ask privately in detail about what happened with the final glaze of being oblivious of that particular aspect of Japanese party throwing. And I thought I had become such an expert on Japanese culture.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Advice on being an ALT
I have just come home from celebrating my friend's birthday. She used to be an English teacher and we sat next to each other for a year. During that time we became friends, and although shse no longer teaches with me, I still see her every week because we study together. She studies English and I study Japanese, and we study with the same teacher.
Anyway we were celebrating her birthday and I was talking to all of the teachers we were with. This was an event which I had organised (a fact of which I am proud because there was a lot of Japanese involved) and which a total of 8 people turned up for (including myself). While we were talking, something came to mind. It is something I have been thinking about for a long time. If I were to give any advice to a new ALT coming into this job what would it be? Well here are my thoughts.
1. communication
This is undoubtedly the most importnat thing in my opinon. Your teachers are busy. EVERY day. You may be busy but I can almost guarantee they are busier. so it is up to you to speak to your teachers. Before you start teaching with them, talk to them. Don't ask them vague questions 'what shall we do' etc. These will get you nowhere. As with most things in life you need to be focused. What would you prefer, lessons based on the textbook, lessons based on world/local culture, lessons based on grammar, lessons based on conversation and listening skills?' Maybe not all at once but choosing two or three of the above options to offer as a choice usually works well.
Find out about their teaching techniques. Ask to see their worksheets and see if you can work in something to use with that. For example if the students translate the text into Japanese have a reading race. (this idea is taken from a very talented Miyako High school teacher, however since he doesn't know I am writing this I won't mention his name). What happens is that the students do rock, paper scissors. the loser reads one line of Japanese followed by the winner reading the same line of English. They stand up while doing this and complete the whole text in this manner. When they finish the entire text they can sit down. To add extra excitement to this add a threat. The third last / fifth last etc. students to finish will have to do a forfeit. (Try to avoid always making it the last students becuase if you have a class with signifcantly stronger and weaker students, the weaker will always be punished which is incredible demoralising). This is an example of how to work with the teachers, covering relevant material to the course and still make it fun for the students.
Before each lesson (at least a day before if possible) approach the teacher you are going to work with and talk about the lesson. If you wait for them to come to you, you might be waiting forever. This is something I always try to do (although I do go through stages where I get behind in my work and I end up talking to them an hour before the lesson) and it is something teachers have commented on that they really like. Just to reiterate, your teachers are busy, so approach them, don't wait for them to approach you. This is the same for taking holiday leave. If you ask your ALT coordinator if it is ok to take holiday and a week later you haven't heard anything back, it IS OK TO ASK AGAIN. If they haven't confirmed your holiday with you after a week there is a chance they forgot all about it. After all they are not the ones jetting off to foreign locations.
2. Learn Japanese
Really learn Japanese. It is not just your English teachers who want to speak to you, in all honesty most Senior High School teachers can speak some English but are nervous about doing so unless you show a willingness to try to learn Japanese. The same goes for your students. My students know I can speak some Japanese, but I still pretend not to at times. Most of the time, they play along. However if you study a foreign language you will be more quaified to advise the students how to study and what methods work and don't work. You will also better understand the problems that they may encounter when learning your language, because they will likely encounter the same problems except in reverse.
3. Be prepared to suck at everything.
Well it depends on the country you come from. However the main sports in my area are volleyball, basketball and baseball. 'Soccer' (although I really wish I could convert them to calling it football) is also pretty popular but definitely less so. So anyway three extremely popular sports which I have never played before. Before coming here that is. And what a humilitating experience it was. Volleyball: I managed to hit the ball into my own face. Luckily my sunglasses didnt break. Baseball, I refused to play because it was with my students from the technical high school and they are a bit difficult to control at the best of times. I didnt need the added humiliation. I don't think I could have faced the laughter. Now i regret it. Those students struggle everyday with English. They really hate it and for the most part they aren't good at it either. Thats why their main discipline at school is in other, more practical, areas. If I had played basaeball with them, they would poeeibly have seen that everybody struggles, even their teachers. For these students I think that is important, but it cant be helped, the opportunity passed. Perhaps on that note I would say think about what you might be passing up.
4. Adopt some of the local customs for classroom purposes. For example saying correct and making a big circle above your head with your arms makes it easy for the students to understand the meaning. (in japan they dont use ticks, those are for Nike only, they use circles) for some reason the sound 'ping-pong' works equally well, as does a cross for incorrect with the alternative of a 'boo-boo' sound.
5. Bring your own country to the classroom. MOST students in Japan hate being singled out (there are definite exceptions), so it is better to find an impartial way of choosing a student. For example i like 'eenie-meenie-mineie-mo, catch a tiger etc) You know, those chants you use as children to decide who will be 'it'. In fact some students even ask me to teach it to them after class. They have a version of it in Japan and it fascinates them to know that we have it as well.
6. Be yourself
If you are crazy and off the wall, be crazy and off the wall. If you get angry, find a way to vent it that doesnt involve shouting at the students. I have a friend who swears at her students in a language which the students don't understand. Therefore they obviously are unaware that she is swearing. However, rather humorously, it has resulted in some of them being genuninely interested in the language and asking her to teach it to them.
Why shouldn't you get angry? Because it will get you absolutely zero respect from Japanese students. In Japan the ability to control your emotions is highly valued, and while they dont mind if you are happy and friendly they do mind if you are scary and angry. If you are angry find a way to get their attention in a positive and easy to understand manner. For example all Japanese students know 'OH, my GOD!' and they will often say it to you. If you are Christian try not to get too offended, most of this kind of thing they are just using because they heard on tv and its easy to remember because it is said with emphasis. However you can also use it to show them they are doing something wrong without ruining the class atmosphere. E.g. 'Oh my god, you are soooooo noisy!' Usually they will laugh and then ask what noisy means.
Anyway we were celebrating her birthday and I was talking to all of the teachers we were with. This was an event which I had organised (a fact of which I am proud because there was a lot of Japanese involved) and which a total of 8 people turned up for (including myself). While we were talking, something came to mind. It is something I have been thinking about for a long time. If I were to give any advice to a new ALT coming into this job what would it be? Well here are my thoughts.
1. communication
This is undoubtedly the most importnat thing in my opinon. Your teachers are busy. EVERY day. You may be busy but I can almost guarantee they are busier. so it is up to you to speak to your teachers. Before you start teaching with them, talk to them. Don't ask them vague questions 'what shall we do' etc. These will get you nowhere. As with most things in life you need to be focused. What would you prefer, lessons based on the textbook, lessons based on world/local culture, lessons based on grammar, lessons based on conversation and listening skills?' Maybe not all at once but choosing two or three of the above options to offer as a choice usually works well.
Find out about their teaching techniques. Ask to see their worksheets and see if you can work in something to use with that. For example if the students translate the text into Japanese have a reading race. (this idea is taken from a very talented Miyako High school teacher, however since he doesn't know I am writing this I won't mention his name). What happens is that the students do rock, paper scissors. the loser reads one line of Japanese followed by the winner reading the same line of English. They stand up while doing this and complete the whole text in this manner. When they finish the entire text they can sit down. To add extra excitement to this add a threat. The third last / fifth last etc. students to finish will have to do a forfeit. (Try to avoid always making it the last students becuase if you have a class with signifcantly stronger and weaker students, the weaker will always be punished which is incredible demoralising). This is an example of how to work with the teachers, covering relevant material to the course and still make it fun for the students.
Before each lesson (at least a day before if possible) approach the teacher you are going to work with and talk about the lesson. If you wait for them to come to you, you might be waiting forever. This is something I always try to do (although I do go through stages where I get behind in my work and I end up talking to them an hour before the lesson) and it is something teachers have commented on that they really like. Just to reiterate, your teachers are busy, so approach them, don't wait for them to approach you. This is the same for taking holiday leave. If you ask your ALT coordinator if it is ok to take holiday and a week later you haven't heard anything back, it IS OK TO ASK AGAIN. If they haven't confirmed your holiday with you after a week there is a chance they forgot all about it. After all they are not the ones jetting off to foreign locations.
2. Learn Japanese
Really learn Japanese. It is not just your English teachers who want to speak to you, in all honesty most Senior High School teachers can speak some English but are nervous about doing so unless you show a willingness to try to learn Japanese. The same goes for your students. My students know I can speak some Japanese, but I still pretend not to at times. Most of the time, they play along. However if you study a foreign language you will be more quaified to advise the students how to study and what methods work and don't work. You will also better understand the problems that they may encounter when learning your language, because they will likely encounter the same problems except in reverse.
3. Be prepared to suck at everything.
Well it depends on the country you come from. However the main sports in my area are volleyball, basketball and baseball. 'Soccer' (although I really wish I could convert them to calling it football) is also pretty popular but definitely less so. So anyway three extremely popular sports which I have never played before. Before coming here that is. And what a humilitating experience it was. Volleyball: I managed to hit the ball into my own face. Luckily my sunglasses didnt break. Baseball, I refused to play because it was with my students from the technical high school and they are a bit difficult to control at the best of times. I didnt need the added humiliation. I don't think I could have faced the laughter. Now i regret it. Those students struggle everyday with English. They really hate it and for the most part they aren't good at it either. Thats why their main discipline at school is in other, more practical, areas. If I had played basaeball with them, they would poeeibly have seen that everybody struggles, even their teachers. For these students I think that is important, but it cant be helped, the opportunity passed. Perhaps on that note I would say think about what you might be passing up.
4. Adopt some of the local customs for classroom purposes. For example saying correct and making a big circle above your head with your arms makes it easy for the students to understand the meaning. (in japan they dont use ticks, those are for Nike only, they use circles) for some reason the sound 'ping-pong' works equally well, as does a cross for incorrect with the alternative of a 'boo-boo' sound.
5. Bring your own country to the classroom. MOST students in Japan hate being singled out (there are definite exceptions), so it is better to find an impartial way of choosing a student. For example i like 'eenie-meenie-mineie-mo, catch a tiger etc) You know, those chants you use as children to decide who will be 'it'. In fact some students even ask me to teach it to them after class. They have a version of it in Japan and it fascinates them to know that we have it as well.
6. Be yourself
If you are crazy and off the wall, be crazy and off the wall. If you get angry, find a way to vent it that doesnt involve shouting at the students. I have a friend who swears at her students in a language which the students don't understand. Therefore they obviously are unaware that she is swearing. However, rather humorously, it has resulted in some of them being genuninely interested in the language and asking her to teach it to them.
Why shouldn't you get angry? Because it will get you absolutely zero respect from Japanese students. In Japan the ability to control your emotions is highly valued, and while they dont mind if you are happy and friendly they do mind if you are scary and angry. If you are angry find a way to get their attention in a positive and easy to understand manner. For example all Japanese students know 'OH, my GOD!' and they will often say it to you. If you are Christian try not to get too offended, most of this kind of thing they are just using because they heard on tv and its easy to remember because it is said with emphasis. However you can also use it to show them they are doing something wrong without ruining the class atmosphere. E.g. 'Oh my god, you are soooooo noisy!' Usually they will laugh and then ask what noisy means.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Triathlon aftermath
So another strongman has passed and it wasn't without its ups and downs, luckily almost everyone I was cheering for managed to finish the race - and in a race that lasts for 14 hours that is not a small thing.
In the afternoon I was standing and talking to one of my english teachers, in between running up to runners and attaking their legs in the hope of removing the time chips from their legs before they vanish through the arch. I gave my usual spiel about how I would never want to try a triathlon like this because you see so many people collapsing, vomiting and generally being taken away in wheelchairs. Usually people laugh and agree with me. That is after all the Japanese way, and the way which makes me feel like I have the potential to be a professional comedian (which perhaps I could in Japan, but anywhere else the blank stares would be unbearable). However this teacher floored me by saying 'that is probably because you have never experienced anything like that before'. Ok so it wasn't rocket science, but it was refreshingly straightforward. And it got me thinking, she is right, I have never experienced anything like that before. So I am retaking up running (the fact that I have gained a bit of weight recently is obviously unrelated). In all honesty I am loving it. I look forward to it all week. This is from a girl who SWORE she would never run and hated it. Well guess what, I was lying because I have always known I am not naturally good at running. All these years I have harboured secret dreams of being able to run well.
It should come as no surprise to you that I am still not good at running but someday...
Sooner or later Japan changes all ALTs in small ways or gives them opportunities to try something they always wanted to.
In the afternoon I was standing and talking to one of my english teachers, in between running up to runners and attaking their legs in the hope of removing the time chips from their legs before they vanish through the arch. I gave my usual spiel about how I would never want to try a triathlon like this because you see so many people collapsing, vomiting and generally being taken away in wheelchairs. Usually people laugh and agree with me. That is after all the Japanese way, and the way which makes me feel like I have the potential to be a professional comedian (which perhaps I could in Japan, but anywhere else the blank stares would be unbearable). However this teacher floored me by saying 'that is probably because you have never experienced anything like that before'. Ok so it wasn't rocket science, but it was refreshingly straightforward. And it got me thinking, she is right, I have never experienced anything like that before. So I am retaking up running (the fact that I have gained a bit of weight recently is obviously unrelated). In all honesty I am loving it. I look forward to it all week. This is from a girl who SWORE she would never run and hated it. Well guess what, I was lying because I have always known I am not naturally good at running. All these years I have harboured secret dreams of being able to run well.
It should come as no surprise to you that I am still not good at running but someday...
Sooner or later Japan changes all ALTs in small ways or gives them opportunities to try something they always wanted to.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Strongman Triathlon
Tomorrow is the big day of tears triumph, and in my personal opinion, mild insanity. Literally thousands of people come to Miyako, a tiny subtropical island in Japan, to compete in the Strongman Triathlon. 3km swim, 152 km bike and a 42km run. The time limit is 14 hours and if you are even 1 minute late it counts as not finishing the race, which is pretty tough when you think about it. You have trained for 5months (at least) and you completed the distances but it's too bad, no certficate of completion for you!
However the island is buzzing and has been for a few weeks. The roads are lined with flowers and banners for loved ones and tomorrow there will be live music and shows along the bike and running routes. The brass band from one of my schools will be playing for 5 hours. Really the whole event is similar to an island wide party, including ambulances ready to pick up the people who collapse. No different from a student night out in Birmingham.
What's my role? I am volunteering. Which is kind of funny because I didnt actually volunteer. I arrived at school on friday afternoon (having been at a different school in the morning) only to be told my t-shirt badge and hat were in the staffroom waiting for me. After that it was a case of 'see you at the running track at 2.30 on sunday, enjoy your weekend' or at least whats left of it. However I don't really mind, the triathlon is a LOT of fun. and this way i will be guaranteed to see the people I want to cheer for along the way. It just interests me that although the Japanese have adopted the word volunteer, or should i say boluntia, into their vocabulary, something was miscommunicated along the way.
However the island is buzzing and has been for a few weeks. The roads are lined with flowers and banners for loved ones and tomorrow there will be live music and shows along the bike and running routes. The brass band from one of my schools will be playing for 5 hours. Really the whole event is similar to an island wide party, including ambulances ready to pick up the people who collapse. No different from a student night out in Birmingham.
What's my role? I am volunteering. Which is kind of funny because I didnt actually volunteer. I arrived at school on friday afternoon (having been at a different school in the morning) only to be told my t-shirt badge and hat were in the staffroom waiting for me. After that it was a case of 'see you at the running track at 2.30 on sunday, enjoy your weekend' or at least whats left of it. However I don't really mind, the triathlon is a LOT of fun. and this way i will be guaranteed to see the people I want to cheer for along the way. It just interests me that although the Japanese have adopted the word volunteer, or should i say boluntia, into their vocabulary, something was miscommunicated along the way.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
seisa pain
So i mentioned that I went to watch Japanese tea ceremony last weekend. What I didn't mention was the humiliation I experienced while I was there. In Japan there is a certain way to sit in formal situations called "seisa" basically kneeling with a straight posture and your feet under your bum. Easy right? Let's try it together.
3 mins later... No problem right? Easy enough to keep your back straight and feels pretty good
10mins Starting to regret wearing skinny jeans
15mins serious pins and needles
20mins feet are feeling heavy and cold
25mins can't really feel anything from the knee down
30 mins wondering if the deprivation of blood and therefore oxygen to my legs will cause any lasting damage
31 mins slightly shift my weight forward. MISTAKE!!! the blood rushes into the lower half of my legs and I am immobilised. I cant sit back on my feet in the kneeling position because of the pain, the lack of blood means I have no control over the movement of my feet
33mins can move my feet with the aid of my hands
34mins Am escorted from the room by one of the women conducting the tea ceremony. Tears are leaking from my eyes as I walk out the room, I can't stop them and I can't work out if it is because of the pain or the humiliation, or if I have finally cracked and become hysterical. Yet there is still a small corner of my mind which is finding the whole situation funny. I am led to a chair, seated an informed I can watch the rest of the ceremony from here.
At least the food was good.
3 mins later... No problem right? Easy enough to keep your back straight and feels pretty good
10mins Starting to regret wearing skinny jeans
15mins serious pins and needles
20mins feet are feeling heavy and cold
25mins can't really feel anything from the knee down
30 mins wondering if the deprivation of blood and therefore oxygen to my legs will cause any lasting damage
31 mins slightly shift my weight forward. MISTAKE!!! the blood rushes into the lower half of my legs and I am immobilised. I cant sit back on my feet in the kneeling position because of the pain, the lack of blood means I have no control over the movement of my feet
33mins can move my feet with the aid of my hands
34mins Am escorted from the room by one of the women conducting the tea ceremony. Tears are leaking from my eyes as I walk out the room, I can't stop them and I can't work out if it is because of the pain or the humiliation, or if I have finally cracked and become hysterical. Yet there is still a small corner of my mind which is finding the whole situation funny. I am led to a chair, seated an informed I can watch the rest of the ceremony from here.
At least the food was good.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Communication, the key to happiness
A few months back I attended a meeting where ALT's were discussing problems at work and I was shocked. It wasn't so much a discussion as a whine. For example more than one ALT had asked to book holiday over the school vacation period. Two months ago. And they still hadn't heard anything back. Now forgive me if I'm wrong but if this was back home in the UK or USA or Australia or wherever these ALT's are from, don't you think you would have asked again if taking holiday would be possible after a week or two? Why should it be any different here, all you have to do is ask 'excuse me, did you get a chance to discuss my holiday with the head teacher?' and they will tell you yes or no, but at least you have reminded them that you want to take holiday. After all Japanese teachers (and all other teachers I have met) are busy and they may have forgotten that you asked to take holiday, and it is not pushy or rude to remind them as long as you do so politely and give them a decent amount of time to have tried (i.e. a week or so).
This is genuinely how I interact with my teachers and I have never had any problems resulting from bringing subjects like this up because I always try to do it in a non-offensive way. For example never criticise the person you are talking to, or another coworker, and always place the blame on yourself for something not going right. Hopefully, if you follow these guidelines you will have a stress free a work environment.
It may or may not be news to some of you to hear that the Japanese government is aware that Japanese people sometimes have trouble communicating with each other as well as with foreigners. Recently they have started trying to develop strategies to improve communication between people, so why not as an ALT try to help the process and figure out ways to better communicate with your teachers? Just always remember to be polite, sometimes unnaturally so!
This is genuinely how I interact with my teachers and I have never had any problems resulting from bringing subjects like this up because I always try to do it in a non-offensive way. For example never criticise the person you are talking to, or another coworker, and always place the blame on yourself for something not going right. Hopefully, if you follow these guidelines you will have a stress free a work environment.
It may or may not be news to some of you to hear that the Japanese government is aware that Japanese people sometimes have trouble communicating with each other as well as with foreigners. Recently they have started trying to develop strategies to improve communication between people, so why not as an ALT try to help the process and figure out ways to better communicate with your teachers? Just always remember to be polite, sometimes unnaturally so!
Monday, March 30, 2009
It's important to listen carefully
I went for lunch with my teachers today. Very enjoyable in fact, we went to a restaurant I have never been to before and it was a good mix of people. As usual I understood a few words of the conversation here and there, or the general gist of what was being said. Or I thought I did. The teachers were talking and they mentioned 'Satoko', a common Japanese woman's name. So far so good. However the next word I understood was 'chinko' the Japanese word for penis (the reason I know this word is far more complicated than you could imagine and is not from the usual dirty words are fun to learn strain of studying). So i am sitting there in this conversation, wondering why my teachers are talking about a penis and a woman, given that they would only normally discuss this kind of thing with close friends, i.e. not with work colleagues over a bowl of soba. Eventually i decided to raise this with the Maths teacher on my left (who incidentally was the one who was speaking and mentioned the words together). She starts rolling with laughter. Literally rolling around in her seat, alternating between hitting m shoulder and burying her face into it. Somewhere in the middle of this the other teachers start to wonder what is going on, at which point the maths teacher splutters 'jinko' before dissolving into fits again. Inspiration dawns, they were not talking about penises. They were using a word which i had never heard before (incidentally which means population for anyone interested). So with the maths teacher incapacitated it is left to me to explain. The male teachers roar with laughter, however the other two female teachers remain slightly unimpressed. Oh well some mistakes are destined to happen. On a daily basis. Sometimes it is important to listen more carefully.
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