Today I had an interesting experience with a teacher asking me (professor of English knowledge) about what air quotes are. She approached me and asked what it meant when you do "this" with your fingers in the air. I had a devil of a time trying to explain what that meant, but I think I got her on to the idea.
This made me realize that when I try to explain complicated concepts to people that don't speak English well, I sound like an idiot. The video that immediately came to my mind was this very popular video:
The reason I think I sound so stupid is the words that I feel that I have to use. Never in the course of regular conversation with other English speakers do I feel such a desire to use every big word I have ever learned. I think it is some kind of disorder. Somehow while discussing air quotes, I really wanted to use the word ubiquitous.
After discussing the nuances of air quotes, we got discussing sarcasm. Sarcasm is a difficult thing to discuss with native English speakers, but it is extra difficult with someone who has English as a second language. But I think that...it like...was...really good...like...such as...
It would seem that Japan really enjoys a lot of silly things. Everyone does. Things that would be normally resigned to the fringes of society and deemed bizarre in western cultures are embraced in Japan. A good example of this is manga and anime. These are cartoons and comic books that Japan is well known for. They are everywhere, and you see everyone reading them. You see business men in their suits just chillin' and reading a comic book on the subway.
Case in point...here is something that evidently is deemed okay in Japan. I saw this on a poster in the hall in the Junior high that highlights current events.
I still haven't figured out if this is to celebrate the new iPhone or the death of Steve Jobs...either way, the sensible thing seems to be to strap a cardboard version of the iPhone to your head...right?
The other thing I am a little concerned about is the America that we are introducing to these children. Here is a picture that seems to send more than a few mixed messages. As you can see, this is the "Let's Try" book. In this book they try things...like English things.
My issues are this: Without explanation, aren't the students going to picture us all driving around in old school Cadillacs and hanging out on beaches? I feel like the cover of this is straight out of the movie "The Birdcage." You can't see it in this picture, but the only other English word that you can see on the street is a cafe called Casablanca. Mixed message? I think so myself. The only thing we are missing is a big white guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt taking a stroll.
I guess that is where I come in...I round out the picture of America. I will be their big white guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt...it's why I make the big money...
In my heart, there is a chamber. Inside this chamber is a room. Inside this room is a bingo hall. I LOVE bingo. If you don't know that already, you haven't been paying enough attention. What started off as an adventure to try something new quickly lead to an obsession with the noble game of Bingo. Bingo is a glorious game that requires practice and mental sharpness. Pictured below is one of the fondest memories that I have of the past year. All of these people are top notch, and it was a great trip before Cody headed off to AZ.
I know it doesn't look like delirious amounts of fun in this picture, but that is because we were focusing on the intensity of making sure that we got all of our starting numbers right. What is also sweet is that you get free soft drinks while you are playing!
You may be wondering why I bring this up, since I am in Japan and roughly 5,000 miles from Mesquite, NV. In the elementary schools I teach at, we play a game that is called Ohajiki. It is essentially bingo. You put your little markers on a card or pictures and take them off when they are called. Naturally, I am really good at this. The kids love anything that is a game, but today they got really into it. I took this video while we were playing. You can hear me call out words and they respond accordingly.
Weirdos
After work, I went to pick up some things from J-Mart and I saw that they had put out the Christmas decorations! They are decidedly less epilepsy friendly in Japan. Over the loudspeakers they were "From A Distance." I wandered the store while hearing the sweet refrains of "God is watching us, God is watching us, God is watching us...from a distance." It was interesting. I want you to take a look as it pans at the life size replica of a reindeer. Creepy right? Who buys that?! Where would they store it?
I must also point out that that monstrosity costs about 1,100 dollars.
Today I was hanging out at school after completing a totally killer day at elementary school when a teacher came up to me and said volleyball. I smiled and nodded. They then said Naga Chu, volleyball. I eventually figured out that they were telling me that I was supposed to go play volleyball at Nagasaka Chugakko (middle school). Weird, but whatever. I went to the school, and asked one of the English teachers what was going on. Turns out there was a teacher volleyball tournament on this day. Glad people tell me things...
Now I don't wish to toot my own horn, but 9-year-old me would be very proud of me for the amount of people that were clamoring over me to be on their team. Volleyball happens to be one of the things I don't suck at. My good friend once said to me, "you know Jeff, you aren't terrible at volleyball." Kinder words were never spoken. Of the 6 schools participating in the tournament, I teach at 3 of the schools. It sure doesn't hurt being the tallest person in a mile radius.
Here you can see the teachers milling around. This was after our first victory. Unfortunately, they weren't using real volleyballs, so when I would hit it with enthusiasm, it would fly quite far. They were using dodgeball type balls to play with.
A quick note on the way the Japanese play volleyball. They are REALLY good at it. I think it is a living testament to the community model that seeps into every facet of Japanese life. I think there was only 1 or 2 times where the ball went across to the other side on less than 3 hits. I didn't actually do much (they had 9 players on each side).
I know you are tired of spider pictures, but now I feel like they aren't even trying to keep them in check. Spiders at eye level? In case you didn't recognize it, this is in the hall of human nightmares.
In class, I taught the 1st graders how to color Jack o' Lanterns. These kids are extraordinarily cute, and I snapped some secret video of them while they were coloring. It is funny that even at age 6 in Japan, the boys and girls color very different pictures. Although, at second 25 or so, you can see possibly the most horrifying picture I have ever seen created. It was created by possibly the cutest little girl...
...I don't know if you can see it, but that thing was crazy scary.
