SLACKER!

Ok well for those of you who know me, did you really expect me to keep up to date on this thing? I did really well the first few times but then I just kinda let it slide. So since I last wrote, many things have happened, so I have decided to just list some highlights. If I feel like I should explain, I will! If you won't to know more, then just ask. For example, if you want to know more details about #2, then ask! Real simple, I think you can manage! So here is what has happened:

1. I drive to work almost every other day! (We have 2 campuses so I alternate)

2. I ate 4 grasshoppers

3. I am subbing now.

4. I pull kids out to work with them individually on the things they struggle with the most.

5. I was walking around campus one day, when one of my students yelled my name and came running at me to give me a big hug!

6. I joined a gym!

7. I have visited the Pacific Ocean!

8. I survived Kids & Parents Day (much like an open house)

9. I have not gotten the flu!!!!! (knock on wood)

10. A few of the classes have been cancelled because of the flu.

11. I ran into a glass door today because they keep them super clean!

12. We are about to work on the Christmas program and I get to help w/ choreography for the Christmas Dance!

13. I talked to my brother about his ENGAGEMENT! CONGRATS AGAIN!

14. This weekend is Jamboree (much like a halloween party) so I will hopefully be Dorothy if the costume fits!

15. I have received 2 packages! Thanks mom and shelbs!

16. I wake up at 6:00am everyday so that I can talk to my friends back home! So get online at around 4 or 5 your time... ask me if you want to know the exact time you should get on!!

17. I bought pink toilet paper!

18. The school lent me a guitar! It is a 9 string though... I need to tune it!

19. I have begun my Japanese lessons.

20. I startled some Japanese high schoolers on a train and it was really awkward! I got embarrassed.

21. I went on a field trip to Michinoku Park, which has play areas called the jumping donut, the hanging balls, and the ball pit..... it was awesome!

22. I thought I lost a couple of kids during playtime but it turns out they were just playing with the bunnies.

23. I can't complain about anything.

24. I experienced a typhoon, school was cancelled.

25. It is getting really cold here, but I did buy a rain jacket.

26. I have to ride my bike to the gym, its rough!

27. I went hiking at a place called Omoshiroyama Koen

28. My picture is on the MeySen Website: http://www.meysen.ac.jp/

29. I booked my flight home for Christmas!

30. I miss you all very much, but I absolutely love it here!

Ok so I hope that this works out for ya! I will try to do a better job at keeping things up to date!

Oh and the picture is me with a couple of the girls on Animal Day!

The Mirror Image

So today was my first day of training. Hope, Deborah, and myself met with the 3 main curriculum designers for MeySen. They have both given up so much of their time to this school, it is ridiculous! These people deserve my utmost respect. Today was filled with so much information, but this information will help me tremendously with my own teaching. Sometimes I feel like this world does not appreciate a teacher for what he or she is worth. To be a successful teacher, you have to invest so much of your time and energy. I aspire to be this teacher that is passionate about everything she does!

I learned two very fun things that I would like to share with you. One is air writing and the other is... you will just have to wait to here about that one! Air writing, that is pretty self-explanatory! You can try it right here and right now! Stick out your arm and hold out two fingers (think stewardess). Now, write the letter "a". Way to go, you just learned how to air write. Easy, right?! Now, stick out your opposite arm and hold out two fingers. This time write the letter "a", but a mirror image of what you just did. Easy?? Not so much! Try it with "s", that will get you to really think! We learned how to write the mirror image of every letter of the alphabet today, you really have to think about it! I encourage you to try. Then once you have accomplished that, try to write a word. Remember, that when we read or write, normally we go from left to right, so if we were mirroring that, you would write your word from right to left. GOOD LUCK!

Well, my 2nd exciting event today was driving! Yes, the Japanese drive on the left side of the road. Yes, the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. Yes, I survived! So not only did I mirror writing today, I also mirrored driving in the states! I was nervous of course, but no one was hurt, so that should say something!!! I did however get very close to a guard rail at one point (the roads are very narrow here). I also accidently hit the windshield wipers instead of the blinker. They are also reversed in the car. But since it was sprinkling today, the windshield wiper mishap did not give away my American self. Now, if it were a bright and sunny day and my windshield wipers started going off, that probably would have made me stick out like a sore thumb!

So all in all, those were my exciting adventures in Japan today! I found out that I could mirror a lot of different things and I like to think I was successful at it all! Feels good!

I get to drive more tomorrow......

My New Adventure!

Well, as most of you know, I now live in Japan. I have been here for about a week. I will be teaching at MeySen Academy in Sendai. You should Google it, it is absolutely fascinating. MeySen has 2 campuses. They are both like tiny little amusement parks. BEAUTIFUL! It is hard to believe that this is what I am doing with my life now. If you were to ask me 8 months ago what my plan was, this would not have been it. You never know where life may take you. This is very exciting though. I will be teaching Japanese Kindergartners English. These students will learn the skills they need to learn at this level, but through the English language. It is an immersion program so the only language we will speak in the classroom is English. No worries, for my job, I do not need to know Japanese. However, I will do my best to learn the language so that I will be able to communicate with parents and to get around in Japan. I begin my official training tomorrow, but I will not get my own classroom until April, which is when the school year will start up again. Well please stay posted, this was more of just a general info passage of what I will be doing here. I promise that there will be much more exciting entries to come.