He makes my day!

 

Since April, whenever I go to my junior high school, I meet this adorable little guy walking with his mom to kindergarten.  The first time I met him, I said "Hello" only to have him shy away.  The next day, he eagerly pointed me out to his mom and looked to her for verbal cues.  Now, that its July, our conversation has expanded to the following:

Good morning

Good morning

Hello

Hello

How are you?

How are you?

How are you?  I'm fine.

I'm fine.

He recently told his mom that he knew "lots of English" and proceeded to tell her all the words he knows.  Oh, and he won an award for "best greeter" at the junior high school not to long ago, too!    

My Happiest Day at School

I won't deny it, teaching is HARD and teaching in my inaka (literally "rural; out in the middle of nowhere") school has been harder!  There is a saying in Japanese 井の中の大海を知らず　("a frog in a well doesn't know the great sea")  This aptly describes my kids (and I am not the only one who thinks this -- other teachers have said it as well!)  When I first got here, it literally took six months before they would stop running away from me, and an entire year before they would even say "Hello."  So, in the past four years, it has been exciting to see their progress, no matter how slow it sometimes feels.  Anyway, one thing that I have really wanted to provide for them is more experiences.  I want them to know that the world is a bigger place and that they can dream big dreams!

So, when the head of the English classes at the elementary school asked me if there was anything I wanted to do at the school before I left, I readily jumped to the offer.  I wanted to have a chance to interact with all of the kids.  I wanted them to feel comfortable using English.  I wanted them to learn about the USA.  And I wanted them to hear a harp for the first time in their lives.  The school was so kind to allow me to do all of the above.  Titled as "Emily's Showtime," I had the chance to teach all of the students across two periods (and all of my first year junior high school students came as well!)  It was so wonderful to see their smiling faces -- all 1000 of them!  And I was so blessed -- they eagerly participated in all of the activities!!!

Some of my students found me tuning/warm-up in the library and enjoyed a first-hand experience playing on the harp

PART 1:  "Hello Game"  (The rule: everyone had to talk with "three friends" from a different grade).  We had smiles and English all over the gym!!

 PART 2: Introduction of the USA

"I need a volunteer.  Where's the USA"

Would I get one?

Here it is!!

Teaching them about the USA -- with head shots of famous Japanese baseball players and me!

There is nothing like having your family's picture emblazoned on a ten-foot screen!

"I like oranges.  Do you like oranges?"

 PART 3: A mini concert -- my last ever here in Japan and with Maigen

PART 4: "Question Corner"  I have tried so hard to encourage my students to ask questions, for that is the basis of true English conversation.  Thus, I will answer any question they ask (thankfully they don't know enough English to ask something too embarrassing!!)  I was genuinely surprised when they asked me some deeper questions and equally touched when a third-grader her told me that the music touched her soul.

"What do you think about when you are playing the harp?"

"Can anyone learn how to play the harp?"

This picture aptly catches the joy and love that I feel for these kids.  I will truly miss them!

Even though it hasn't been an easy road, I am so glad that God brought me to Japan.  I thought I was coming as a teacher, but have learned that it is was I that has been taught.

Save the last dance for me...

And so our dance classes have come to an end...

 We have learned a lot...

See, we are all synchronized!

We have bought cute shoes...

And we know how to have fun...

A class never goes by without Daisuke twirling me in some crazy manner!

"Let's strike a pose!"

"Ok"

"Me too"

"Me three"

But Suzuki先生 always brings us back into focus...

 As for me, I'm still working on the trust issue...

"I'm going to follow, I'm going to follow..."

"...see, look, I'm following...."

"...Oops!!!  Now, I'm leading ;-O)

The mirror ball that we never used...

...and the goodbye cake that almost didn't make it!

Thanks for two fabulously fun years!

The Beginning of the Goodbyes!

Even though I still have about six weeks here in Japan, the goodbyes have started -- and they AREN'T easy ;-(  The first came with Mami-chan.  Mami, a member of my English church, is such a sweet, stalwart Christian woman.  Recently, she decided to quit her job in search of a more meaningful position.  For the last few months, she has been working up in Tohoku as a translator and assistant for Samaritan's Purse as they work diligently to rebuild the tsunami-wrecked area.  Sarah, Mami, and I had a lovely time at Mr. Donuts (a favorite snack place ;-) talking about our current situations in life and the mysteries that lie ahead!  One of the most meaningful events of the evening was when Mami told us a story about a Japanese man that she met who, living in a part of Japan unreachable by the Japanese military, was grateful when he received an airdrop of ready-to-eat meals from the American army.  His survival depended on the REMs and he saved one as a remainder.  He told Mami, thank you and asked her to pass the message along.  Because I was the closet thing to the American military that she could think of, she conveyed his thanks to me.  I felt so unworthy to receive them.

How many donuts can one person eat??

Monocles

Bug eyes!

Showing off our "rings"

Singapore Students!

Several weeks ago, my school was host to 10 students from Singapore.   They were supposed to come last June, but due to the earthquake and resulting disasters, their trip was postponed till this year.  It was so interesting observing the kids as they attempted to integrate into my school.  I felt like I was watching myself  -- a bumbling foreigner trying to fit into a society where everyone else seems to know what they are doing.  I was so glad that I could be there to help them out.  It was an interesting experience to be walking the middle line -- semi-relating to both sides of the spectrum.  And it was soooo fun to have students who actually talked to me ;-)

My kids meditating before the welcome ceremonies

Here come the Singapore kids... (When the first guy entered, everyone gasped in amazement at his height!)

Meeting each other for the first time!

As a special presentation, the Student Council (and several teachers) created a dance based off of the popular Japanese female group AKB 48 (KMT stands for the Council's president -- the guy in the middle)    It was sooo funny but unfortunately my video didn't come out ;-(

This kid (Timothy) had the best smile!  It really brightened each of my days to have the kids smiling (since my Japanese students don't do it so often)

One thing that occurred while the students were here was our annual jump rope contest

This is what is supposed to happen -- an entire class jumps together to see how many times they can succeed in three minutes

The school record is 58!

I just love this picture because it is the complete opposite of the goal of the exercise!

Having never done this kind of group building event, it took the Singapore students a couple of days to get the hang and see the point of it.  It was really interesting to see all of the individual personalities come out (kind of like watching a bunch of Westerners!)

It was also really interesting because at the beginning of the two weeks, the kids REFUSED to sit on the ground -- by the end, they had completely adapted!  And, they managed a record of 31 jumps!!

During the weekend they were here, I was also asked to join a group of them on a trip to Mt. Fuji.  One student was staying with an elderly teacher (versus Japanese classmates) and he asked if I could come along as an "older sister"

Nothing like ice cream at 9:30 in the morning!

The "famous" Mt. Fuji walking sticks (you buy one at the bottom of the mountain and you can get them stamped at each station on your way up.  An interesting item to note, is that the stamps supposedly get more and more expensive the higher you climb!)

Ready to go!

What we were SUPPOSED to see!

What we ACTUALLY saw!!  Due to the weather, Mt. Fuji was nowhere in sight!