Finding a Place

 Journal Entry: Friday, 1/16/09

We met the kids, affectionately known as kinders, today at the school, we don't start teaching until MOnday. However, this is going to be a lot of work. When we asked whether we should bring lesson plans, we didn't get a direct answer, so we came unprepared for what we found. Thankfully, the other students who have taught before us left lots of books and supplies and ideas, even a homemade animal BINGO game! I just pray it will hold us for 3 months. Apparently the students who were here before us didn't do much with the evening classes, but Michael and I have been asked to (Later note: we thought we had been asked to watch the lesson and give a devotional at the end. What we had been asked to do was teach the lesson and watch the devotional. Read: Alissa ran around stressing out when we found out 10 minutes before class that we were teaching.) That is where I hope to learn the most Japanese, since we can't speak it at the school because it confuses the kids.

Most of the other teachers either can't or are too shy to speak much English at all. I don't know how we are going to communicate with the kids!

Journal Entry: Monday, 1/19/09

Today was our first day teaching. It went well, but I am exhausted. They do "gymnastics" (exercise) every morning to cassette tapes. Today we watched, tomorrow we join in. :) The kids call us "Michadu Teacher" and "Alissa Teacher." They all know "let's play", "push", "good morning", and "see you tomorrow". Some are pretty forceful with the "let's play" part. Many children get to school early, so their parents can go to work. Michael and I get there early, too, because our hosts go to work, so we play with them until class starts at 10.

The language barrier isn't as big as I thought it would be, because most of them manage to get across what they want just fine. I watched them playing with interlocking blocks today, and the girls found the yellow, pink and white ones and systematically arranged them on the floor in a type of mosaic. And every time they turned to rummage for more blocks, one of the boys just as systematically picked them up off the floor and added them to his 'tank'!

Last week we (thought we) were told that we would watch the first afternoon class, and then teach starting tomorrow. Again, there was a miscommunication somewhere, so we came less prepared than I would have liked. But I did have a plan, so we taught the kids "This is the Day," Psalm 118:24. There were about five 6-8 year olds, and two 12 year olds. The older girls are helpful with the little ones, but more intimidating to teach. We played a lot of Simon Says and flashcard games.

 As I write this, I am eating Spagetti noodles topped with sauted shrimp and baby squid, and some sort of, I kid you not, purple sauce.

Journal Entry, Sunday, 1/18/09

Today was our first Japanese Church service. The nice gentleman who took us to Aso with his wife sat beside us and translated most of it. The dynamics of the church are interesting, it seems that both Yuichi and Sue Watanabe are pastors, and that doesn't appear to be unusual in Japan. The church is about 25 people, and many of them are older. One lady told today that she rides a train 2 hours to get to church, and because she doesn't like to waste time, she witnesses to the people who sit beside her! This is the only church in Aso and the surrounding towns, and many people asked Sue when it was built what a church was, and what it was for? The main religion in Japan is Bhuddism, but many gods are worshipped, or at least prayed to. Shrines are everywhere, even at the top of the mountain. We saw one at the cattle auction yard in Hyato, and one when we went on a walk this morning. People pray to ancestors, too.

Michael and Yuichi Sensei (teacher) are plotting against the forces of nature, as nature seems to be determined to eat away slowly at the church's parking lot. Michael is putting his landscaping/construction knowledge to good use, and I'm sure that soon Mr. Watanabe is going to put him to good use!

I was offered fish heads with my lunch today (Katy was asking if I was going to eat any) and managed to decline graciously. However, we went to a sushi bar for dinner, and I ate not one, but two raw squid rolls. Yummy! It was kind of like chewing on a balloon, and about the same taste. Michael likes all the Japanese food, and Sue makes sure to boil all the vegetables before sauteing them, just for him.

Yesterday we hiked to the top of the hill behind the church. My body still isn't used to the altitude, and I was sick, but the view was worth it! You can see the whole Aso Valley, and there is an old cemetary up there!

Tomorrow is our first day at the Kindergarten. We made nametags for all the classes. The class names are Tiyo, (sun) Hoshi, (star) Tsuki, (moon) and Hana. Now for those of you who watched The Last Samauri, hana means 'nose,' so you can imagine that we were a little confused. We asked, though, and found out that hana also means 'flower.' I asked what the difference was, and how to tell the two words apart. They said there was no difference! How confusing!

The children don't have a problem with my name, in fact, there are two Alisa's in their class. Michael's name, though, comes out "Michadu-Teacher." I get in trouble when I call him that. =)