Are you feeling GENKI?
Whoa, it’s been a while, I know. However, I have been very sick and very “busy”. After I helped my office move on Monday, I became inflicted with a cold that kept my nasal cavity filled at all times which complimented my raspy voice due to the irritation in my throat. However, as usual, I manage to survive and make it through. Now, I feel very “genki”. Genki is the word they use in Japan to describe healthy, lively and energetic. So, instead of asking how you are after greeting someone, they ask you, “Genki des ka?” meaning “Are you feeling genki today?” I wish the same could be said of Cristina. The day I got better, she seemed to have started having what I had had. Now, she has a bad cough. However, with the help of the oranges that it is customary to eat by the dozen every evening in Japan, she will get better.
I have been feeling extremely productive in the office. For the past few days, I have studying Japanese from the book that the JET program sends you every 2 months. I completed this second book and took the test that is due January 28. I figure I might as well complete it now since I will most likely forget or have other things on my mind after we come back from winter holiday.
Speaking of holiday, Cristina and I embark on our Chino-European adventure next Friday. As you might imagine, I am excited but worried that I will not have everything ready in time.
Yesterday at Uchi JH, I partook in the greatest of events. As you may have already known, the school’s backyard is the beach. Every year, schools all over Japan have a relay that symbolizes or re-enacts the delivering of a message over a very long distance by Japanese Post a long time ago. Since one of the kids in 2-2 broke his leg, I was asked to take his spot. I was in the second mukade (I will explain in a second.). The relay begins with a long distance runner that runs almost the length of the beach and back (maybe 500m) who then passes the message (in the form of a sash that you wear) to the next leg which is a mukade (or centipede). A mukade consists of 5 people standing in a line with all their left ankles bound together and all their right ankles bound together. So, you all have to take small steps in unison, but try to be fast at the same time. My team was in the lead until my mukade was near the hand off when we fell and 3-1 took the lead for the remainder of the race. It was tons of fun and I hope I get to participate in it again next year. At the end, everyone stands together and does stretches then faces the ocean and scream. It was quite the moment.
In the evening was my eikawa. The conversation group ran much smoother than last time. Perhaps it was because I had stuff planned. What they were most surprised about was the pronunciation exercise that I had prepared for them since no other ALT had done that with them. I had them say “Red leather, yellow leather.” The Rs, Ls and THs are very difficult for them so it was quite the challenge.
Today, I am at work and stuck with nothing to do. I find myself with so much free time that I have begun to plan my other vacations during the remainder of my time. I am thinking that for next Winter holiday, I want to go to Thailand and Cambodia. We also have some other week-long break periods that we are trying to plan for. If any of you have any ideas of where we should visit while over here, let me know. As of now, I think we are considering the Philippines, Sydney, and other places throughout Japan.
I have been feeling extremely productive in the office. For the past few days, I have studying Japanese from the book that the JET program sends you every 2 months. I completed this second book and took the test that is due January 28. I figure I might as well complete it now since I will most likely forget or have other things on my mind after we come back from winter holiday.
Speaking of holiday, Cristina and I embark on our Chino-European adventure next Friday. As you might imagine, I am excited but worried that I will not have everything ready in time.
Yesterday at Uchi JH, I partook in the greatest of events. As you may have already known, the school’s backyard is the beach. Every year, schools all over Japan have a relay that symbolizes or re-enacts the delivering of a message over a very long distance by Japanese Post a long time ago. Since one of the kids in 2-2 broke his leg, I was asked to take his spot. I was in the second mukade (I will explain in a second.). The relay begins with a long distance runner that runs almost the length of the beach and back (maybe 500m) who then passes the message (in the form of a sash that you wear) to the next leg which is a mukade (or centipede). A mukade consists of 5 people standing in a line with all their left ankles bound together and all their right ankles bound together. So, you all have to take small steps in unison, but try to be fast at the same time. My team was in the lead until my mukade was near the hand off when we fell and 3-1 took the lead for the remainder of the race. It was tons of fun and I hope I get to participate in it again next year. At the end, everyone stands together and does stretches then faces the ocean and scream. It was quite the moment.
In the evening was my eikawa. The conversation group ran much smoother than last time. Perhaps it was because I had stuff planned. What they were most surprised about was the pronunciation exercise that I had prepared for them since no other ALT had done that with them. I had them say “Red leather, yellow leather.” The Rs, Ls and THs are very difficult for them so it was quite the challenge.
Today, I am at work and stuck with nothing to do. I find myself with so much free time that I have begun to plan my other vacations during the remainder of my time. I am thinking that for next Winter holiday, I want to go to Thailand and Cambodia. We also have some other week-long break periods that we are trying to plan for. If any of you have any ideas of where we should visit while over here, let me know. As of now, I think we are considering the Philippines, Sydney, and other places throughout Japan.
posted by Jesse Montano at
9:11 AM
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