Is it still okay to post on a blog called "Japanese things" when I don't live in Japan anymore?

Dear Japan,

I will miss you dearly. Though I'm choosing to leave now, I have no regrets about living on your island for a year. I love your people. I love your culture. I have learned so much here. I hope I will be forever changed for the better because of our time together. You are a beautiful place with rich culture and wonderful people.

Keep it real.

Jennifer

high school cheerleaders - Japan style

I found this little gem of a video that I have yet to share. It's the cheering squad from Moka Boys High School.

Watch it to the end because the last move is hands down the best. Enjoy.

today is my first day back in japan and i attempted to go for a run. i failed. but i did see a lizard with a black body and a neon blue tail.

Great things in Japan

Japan lets you rent music CDs. Today I rented 2 CDs for 330 yen (about $3.50). Now it is perfectly legal for me to upload the songs onto my computer and iPod. How and why is it legal? I don't know. But it is, and I like it. :-)

Also, today was my first time to use a music rental store. I chose Tsutaya because it's close to my work, and I've been there with friends before. I ran into two of my students on the way there, and they volunteered to help me get a membership card, even though their English is less than my Japanese. What amazing girls. They marched up to the counter with me and took charge - filling out all my forms and answering all of the clerks questions. It warmed my heart. While at Tsutaya, I saw 18 of my students. Wow. Renting CDs is popular.

4th grade, class 3

So I teach elementary ("sho gakko") every Friday. I don't really like it. It has so much potential to be awkward because, unlike at "chu gakko" (middle school, where I normally work), there are no English teachers on staff, so no one is available to translate for me. The language barrier limits communication not only between me and the elementary school teachers, but also the students. It has the potential to be quite stressful because I thrive in places of good communication.

But one class has really done a remarkable job making me enjoy teaching them.

At Moka Nishi Sho Gakko, there are over 1,000 students. I teach one 4th grade class each visit, and there are 6 4th grade classes. Today I taught grade 4 class 3 ("yon no san kumi" or ４の３) for the second time, and they really made my day. So I want to recognize them in my blog (as if that is some sort of special award...).

The week after my first lesson with ４の３, two students found me in the teachers office and presented me with a book made of thank you letters composed by the class. Each student had written me a full page letter thanking me for teaching them English. Is this for real? I wanted to cry tears of joy. How wonderful.

Today I taught them again, and then returned to their classroom to eat school lunch with them. When I entered the classroom they gave me a standing ovation and directed me to a chair at the front of the room. Then they all lined up in the back of the classroom and performed a song for me. They sang for me! What an amazing class. Then we ate lunch together and played "shiritori," a Japanese word game. It was great.

Thank you ４の３！

giant Asian hornet

Today a "suzumebachi" flew into the classroom where I was teaching.  All classrooms have a wall of screenless windows that are always open when it's warm. Today a visitor entered through said windows. The students quickly alerted us, and told us to turn off the lights because "Saito-sensei said so." We followed the orders, and the predator flew toward the window. However, it flew into the closed window. But brave little Ms. Tanaka used her quick wit to open and then close the windows in such a way as to get the monster on the outside. Bravo. We applauded.

What is this terrible creature you ask? A "giant Asian hornet." And Japanese people are terrified of them. So today I looked 'em up. THEY'RE TERRIFYING. Japanese people are right on about this!

Suzumebachi translates to "sparrow bee," because they can grow as big as sparrows! They're bodies avg. 2 inches long with a 3 inch wingspan and 1/4 inch stinger. The venom contains at least 8 toxic chemicals, and they can be lethal, even to those who aren't allergic to bees. Between 20 to 40 people die from suzumebachi stings in Japan each year. One of the chemicals in the venom actually releases a scent that attracts more giant Asian hornets! 怖い！

Dream about this tonight: