Monday, 18 August 2008
Tourist
Hello. I'll write a proper update of my endless journey home (I didn't sleep for about 2 days) later. I spent the weekend in Fife with my family and have found myself a bit bored at home today. I thought I'd go a drive to somewhere in my home town. I checked wikitravel to help plan my day. Here's the link
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
From Kansai Airport
Alright everyone?
Its nearly 11pm and my flight to Dubai is about to take off. That last about 8 hours.... then I have a 2 hour wait and then another 8 hour flight to Glasgow. I left my house at half 9 this morning and Ive hardly eaten. The departure lounge has offered me beer and a doughnut. Deary me deary me indeed. Hopefully I will fall asleep on a plane for the first time in my life or I may actually die.
Ive been taking video blog entries. It`s very exciting. Although I look very fat, pale and sweaty in every video. Anyway... home in.... 22 hours!
Its nearly 11pm and my flight to Dubai is about to take off. That last about 8 hours.... then I have a 2 hour wait and then another 8 hour flight to Glasgow. I left my house at half 9 this morning and Ive hardly eaten. The departure lounge has offered me beer and a doughnut. Deary me deary me indeed. Hopefully I will fall asleep on a plane for the first time in my life or I may actually die.
Ive been taking video blog entries. It`s very exciting. Although I look very fat, pale and sweaty in every video. Anyway... home in.... 22 hours!
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
My awkward supervisor
Good evening.
I'm just after politely forcing my supervisor out of my house. I finished work at about 5:40pm and went to the supermarket to buy dinner. I was in the middle of eating it when I heard a knock at my door. It's usually my neighbour Noah so I just opened it without really thinking. Anyway, it turns out it was my supervisor who asked if it was a good time whilst walking in. Even at the door I gave a bit of an "Hmmm not really. I'm eating dinner" but the hint was not taken. He then came in and pulled out a chessboard (he caught me playing it at work). I tried to be polite at the start and said all of the following in Japanese:
Hmmm I'm eating dinner
Hmmm I have English class at 7pm so this is my free time
Hmmm I'm very tired
The hints were not really taken. I then pretty much gave up and stood in silence for a bit.... occasionally saying "Oh yeah this is my house eh?".... "Oh I'm so tired eh?". I tried in vain to remember "This is not a good time" in Japanese but most people (especially Japanese) would take hint at the slightest "Uuuuhh"
Yep. He means well but just delivers awkward pain to my door.
I'm just after politely forcing my supervisor out of my house. I finished work at about 5:40pm and went to the supermarket to buy dinner. I was in the middle of eating it when I heard a knock at my door. It's usually my neighbour Noah so I just opened it without really thinking. Anyway, it turns out it was my supervisor who asked if it was a good time whilst walking in. Even at the door I gave a bit of an "Hmmm not really. I'm eating dinner" but the hint was not taken. He then came in and pulled out a chessboard (he caught me playing it at work). I tried to be polite at the start and said all of the following in Japanese:
Hmmm I'm eating dinner
Hmmm I have English class at 7pm so this is my free time
Hmmm I'm very tired
The hints were not really taken. I then pretty much gave up and stood in silence for a bit.... occasionally saying "Oh yeah this is my house eh?".... "Oh I'm so tired eh?". I tried in vain to remember "This is not a good time" in Japanese but most people (especially Japanese) would take hint at the slightest "Uuuuhh"
Yep. He means well but just delivers awkward pain to my door.
Monday, 4 August 2008
Bad Japan: A Mother's Lullaby
This is taken from a New Horizon textbook which I use to teach 3rd grade at junior high school:
By a road near the city of Hiroshima, a very big, old tree stands. Through the years, it has seen many things. One summer night the tree heard a lullaby. A mother was singing to her little girl under the tree. They looked really happy. And the song sounded very sweet. Then the tree remembered something sad. "Yes, it was some sixty years ago. I heard a lullaby that night, too."
On the morning of that day, a big bomb fell on the city of Hiroshima. A great many people lost their lives, and many others were injured. They had burns all over their bodies. Some of them were moving very slowly. I was very sad when I saw those people. It was a very hot day. Some of the people fell down beside me. They could not even stand. I said to them, "Come and rest in my shade. You'll be all right soon."
Night came. Some people were already dead. Then I heard a weak voice. It was a lullaby. A young girl was singing to a little boy. "Mommy! Mommy!" the boy cried. "Don't cry," the girl said. "Mommy is here." Then she began to sing again. She was also weak, but she tried to be a mother to the poor little boy. She held him in her arms like his real mother.
"Mommy," the boy was still crying. "Be a good boy," said the girl. "You'll be all right." She held the boy more tightly and began to sing again. After a while the boy stopped crying and quietly died. But the little mother did not stop singing. It was a sad lullaby. The girl's voice became weaker and weaker. Morning came and the sun rose, but the girl never moved again.
On the morning of that day, a big bomb fell on the city of Hiroshima. A great many people lost their lives, and many others were injured. They had burns all over their bodies. Some of them were moving very slowly. I was very sad when I saw those people. It was a very hot day. Some of the people fell down beside me. They could not even stand. I said to them, "Come and rest in my shade. You'll be all right soon."
Night came. Some people were already dead. Then I heard a weak voice. It was a lullaby. A young girl was singing to a little boy. "Mommy! Mommy!" the boy cried. "Don't cry," the girl said. "Mommy is here." Then she began to sing again. She was also weak, but she tried to be a mother to the poor little boy. She held him in her arms like his real mother.
"Mommy," the boy was still crying. "Be a good boy," said the girl. "You'll be all right." She held the boy more tightly and began to sing again. After a while the boy stopped crying and quietly died. But the little mother did not stop singing. It was a sad lullaby. The girl's voice became weaker and weaker. Morning came and the sun rose, but the girl never moved again.
Did I mention that this is one of the first few lessons all newly arriving JETs will have to teach? Welcome to Japan!
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