So it's December 1 in Japan. I'm sitting at my junior high school killing time. I have recently discovered that trips to the bathroom are great ways to get inspired. I frequently find myself making resolutions in the ladies room. My first thought was that I should look into whether I can complete a teaching certificate online. I have yet to do this, but it's a great idea. My second thought has been that I should read up on cultural theory and create my own teaching curiculum here at the junior high school. I assure myself (as I wash my hands) that both of these things would contribute greatly to my eventual graduate school applications. However, my desk is the bane of my existence. When I get to my desk, it all goes out the window and I find myself engaging in much more mundane activities like balancing my monthly budget (which consists of a notebook in which I write my expenses) and browsing the internet for the latest bit of 'I have to know this or the pop culture center of my brain will die' piece of information. The highlights for today? No one knows anything about Tiger Woods' wife and Mike Huckabee has issued almost three times more pardons in his time as governor of Arkansas than Bill Clinton in the same position. Both of these facts do me absolutely no good as a moral or artistic person, and yet the trend continues day after day. I will stop talking about this, however, because there has already been a mass of witty diatribes against 'useless information' that we often feel we must have.
Nanowrimo saved me this month. The television got less of my time, though so did everything else. Nanowrimo taught me to write again. I had been feeling as though my writing had turned into mush. I tried to write blogs and they came out....blahhhmeeehh. Syntax refused to stay in order. However, with the help of friends who encouraged me in the face of my difficulties, I was able to push through the blaaahhmeehh until my words began to shape up. Sometimes I felt as if every word was one costly brain cell, but other times it was as if the words for flying out of my fingers. I won't say that what I wrote was the most brilliant or the most original but it was SOMETHING and it was PRACTICE. Nothing like 50,000 words to shape up the verbal prowess. ;) Okay, maybe I should say, verbal proficiency. It was super fun too, you all should do it. Now you are all thinking, 'you are insane; I have a life, you obviously don't' which is in some ways true...but...
Life is getting busier and busier. I just signed up for a pottery class on Thursday evenings, I hav eJapanese class on Wednesday evenings, and tonight I'm giving an adult language conversation class (only have to do this every few months). Last weekend the JETs in Tokushima read through part of the script for the winter musical. We are doing *The Lion King* relocated in TOkushima with an easier English level. Fortunately, we're in Japan where everyone rips of everything and gets away with it, so we have the freedom to screw this Disney treasure up as much as possible and have an incredible time doing it. Although I wanted to break out a wonderfully horrible cockney British accent for Zazu, apparently the director couldn't resist my compact cuteness and cast me as little Nala. He told me I could actually act, so they were going to use me to spice up this otherwise boring character. Who says someone can't use your skills against you? Honestly, I actully think it was a matter of finding someone small enough to play little Nala. I do find this frustrating, but she gets to sing I think, and I'm sure I'll get to pull out some awful dance moves in there somewhere as well so it's not all bad. Hopefully I won't have to commit to the 14 hour/week practice schedule either for my 8 lines or whatever she has. Now I will stop being a whiney actor. The musical should be great fun. Therewere a ton of people at the read through - quite a bit of talent in Tokushima and lots of enthusiasm. That are the chances I would get placed in a theaterically inclined prefecture? No idea, but it certainly is great.
I am further considering buying a car. The train schedule here sucks, which means that last night, Kody had to hop on a train at 9:13, arrive at a station at 9:30 and then wait until 11 to finally catch his hour long train home. This is absurd. Not to mention it was 40 something degrees outside and all he had were two sweatshirts. I think if he weren't here, getting a car would be excessive, but now that he is, I am constantly reminded of how immobile I am. I would love to actually wear my hair down to school for once. Biking 15 minutes always decimates that possibility. And I'm not even going to talk about biking to school in the rain. If you've done it, you know.
As far as teaching goes, it's a mixed bag. I think I would be perfectly happy with myself if I weren't a complete overachiever. I want to be the SUPER ALT. I know it's absurd, but I want to be, and with my personaility, I won't stop till I am. I have this thing about pushing pushing pushing until I think I am the best, and then feeling quite a failure if I meet anyone who's better. I think a I'm a competitive, overachieving authority pleaser. I know this, and yet I'm still this way. My JTE told me yesterday that he always trusts my lesson planning. I've been teaching 3 months and he trusts my lesson planning. Is this good enough? Nope. He tells me this yet I still feel bad that the ninth grade students don't seem very enthusiastic about this lesson. My eighth graders drive me crazy because they don't seem to EVER get excited. I'm tempted to tell myself things about horses and water and drinking, but then I stop and say, *but there ARE teachers who are THAT good that they make the bored students excited. I want to be THAT teacher. I tell myself not to become complacent (something I think is very easy to do as an ALT). And that is when I start having visions about creating my own curriculum and blah blah yada yada. And my supervisor tells me I have a talent for teaching and all these teachers she's talked to has told her so... Well, maybe that will make me feel good - for a month. Isn't there some proverb that should come into my mind about being satisfied with one's best and not expecting results immediately? I'm sure there is somewhere. Would it change anything? Maybe for like 5 minutes...
And now - I am off to 2 lessons of 9th grade where I will reinforce the beleif that Christmas is all about consumers and marketing as I have my kids go Christmas shipping. Then school lunch (yay?). Then anothe 9th grade class and a 7th grade class.
Cheerio, friends!
