Saturday, February 28, 2009

NICE DAY

Ah forgot to mention its a beautiful sunny day! Um second thought it was .. well in the 50s, last day of Feb, snow is melting in the mountains.

FINALLY!

Got the two final tests out of the way, well 2 hours sleep and completing it 20 minutes before the test, call it just in time. Made it a bit challenging for the kids, hey it can't always be easy. Take a mini break work on grad apps, then correct that mountain of tests on monday!

Ah saw some of my first grade kids, oh I will miss them, don't teach them anymore when they change to 2nd grade next quarter. Just talking to MoriMori and Yanagi Tomoko, aka Usagi (rabbit) or Unagi (eel). Damn I love to butcher Japanese names.

TEST DAY

Oh! Lucky today, I got home at 9pm. I was making the 2nd test for the 2.4 class, but then my headache forced me home. Well now getting ready to work again and finish up the test hopefully before morning!

ORAL TEST
This time the 1st graders were blessed by the sounds of Ben E King rather than my lovely voice. Usually I read something for listening, but today I choose to play Stand By Me for listening. A lot of the kids knew the song and liked it, good choice, pat on my back. Plus its used every year in random commercials. Teachers at Toyo are great, they always pull together. Today, Mr Harada, Mr Iseda and Mr Yamanaka were so helpful in checking the classes and everything, I couldnt have done it without them. Just a little hiccups in the test here and there, we caught them all and even one of the advanced kids couldnt read the words on the horoscope picture, cry baby. Anyways another good test, now the hard part, checking all 500 of them!!!

Friday, February 27, 2009

TODAY AT TOYO

11:00 PM
Thats what time I finished today. Damn getting into that Japanese salaryman mode, I gotta get out of it. But it couldn't be helped today, had to finish up the Oral test for tomorrow. So that meant printing out 500 tests! Lucky Mr. Harada was so nice to stay with me until the end, helping me print out the tests, he is such a nice guy. Then the other teachers, Iseda and Yamanaka were kinda enough to help me out, so cool. Today I was finally last at school with Mr. Harada, watch out Japanese I can outwork you!! hahaha

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Working on those apps for grad school at the UW College of Education, crossing those fingers, I should be finishing up my personal statement rather than this blog, but I know I will never do my blog if I don't do it now. Well everything else is done for the app, just one more!

TOMMORROW
Gotta make another fucking test!! Then back to lovely graduate school apps =)


NEW NAME
Was talking to one of my students in class today, and he said hey you have lived in Japan a long time, do you have a Japanese name? I told him I didn't, so he gave me one, Kenichi. Kinda cool name, I like it, Kayo even said the 4 hirigana letters fit me.

FUNNY GIRLS
Saw the funny girls, Saito, Sawada, Koda Kumi and gang. Just hanging out in front of the food window. Even got a cool kanji writing from Kumi, not sure what it says but looks cool. Girls joking around, Sawada said Kumi was not the same cute girl as the real Koda Kumi. Hahaha, girls are so mean. Then I said she is dangerous and beautiful, but then Sawada countered and said, dangerous, but not beautiful. Funny girls.

BOOK GIFT CARD
Namba sold me a book gift card, I didn't really need it, but just to play with the kids. Namba was pretty happy cuz he was looking for cash not books as he promptly turned around and bought some ice cream and chicken karage with the money. Even had a nice chat with the other kids and Mr. Brass Band aka DMX.