I can't believe that I only have three weeks left in Tokyo. It makes me so sad. Tokyo has been so much fun; I really don't want to leave. Moreover, my leaving Tokyo will symbolize the end of my summer. I am seriously not ready to be a junior. Can't I go back to Freshman year or something?
On another note, I feel like my Japanese has actually improved. I can now watch TV and make out what is probably going on. I can speak basic Japanese to native Japanese people.
On Tuesday, we went to a local elementary school as part of our culture exchange. There, I received the most elaborate welcome that I've ever experienced. They sat us down on the stage of their auditorium and welcomed us like we're some kind of celebrities. Except we're just Yale students. They even had a band that played the Star Wars theme song for us. It was pretty cool.
After that, we each had an assigned class that we were supposed to teach. My class was a second grade class. I nearly had a panic attack when I found out. First, I couldn't even speak coherent Japanese to adults, how was I going to communicate with kids? Second, I had to teach them a game. That's right, a game. How am I suppose to teach second graders how to play a game in Japanese when I can barely order gyouza in a restaurant.
However, I did the best I could. My students first introduced themselves to me, made me introduce myself, and asked me some basics questions. By this point, I was sweating like crazy because I was so nervous and scared. I felt like I was back in third grade when I first came to America and didn't speak a word of English. Ok, maybe that was a little different, but you get the idea.
They then taught me a game that was similar to musical chairs. I got owned by this fat kid. Man, I was terrible at the game. I think the kids found it amusing, though. After we play musical chairs, I tried my best to explain the newspaper game, where you have groups of 4 and everyone has to stand on the newspaper. Then, you fold the newspaper in half, and everyone has to try to stand on the newspaper again. Surprisingly, the kids loved the game, and they went crazy. It was really fun.
I ate lunch with my students. I have say, I was thoroughly impressed by the disciplines of Japanese kids. There were designated students within the class that day who wore little aprons and hats and served lunch to the rest of their classmates. They were in second grade! In second grade, I definitely was not trained to serve others. The lunch wasn't too taste, but it was definitely nutrious with a good balance between carbohydrates, protein, and fat. During lunch, all the kids asked me interesting questions, such as did I have a girlfriend or what my zodiac was. Haha, such funny kids.
After lunch, they gave me a bunch of hand-make gifts. It included paper frogs, cranes, flowers, boxes, etc. It was the cutest thing ever. I loved my kids. When I was leaving the classroom, they ran after me, crying out "goodbye"s and "we'll miss you"s and chased after me all the way until the principal sent them back to their classrooms. I only spent 2-3 hours with them, and they were so sad to see me leave. I was really touched. I've never been so loved in my life. That was probably the high point of my week. I was content.
Anyway, it was a great day. And it made me love Japan just that much more.
Until next time,
Hans Liang
1 comment:
omg hans. that video made me laugh/cry at the same time. that is the cutest thing i've ever seen. CUUUUTE!! kinda freaky at the same time.. they were like attacking u :)
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