Bunchkins

Whats this?! Another blog post?! I know what you're thinking, but don't get excited... I'm not about to become some blogging goddess who blogs all the time... Sorry.

This blog is about my "job". I help out at an English preschool, and I love it. I've done a few posts about it before, but I feel like this week was special. A little background, I usually only work Thursday afternoons(with the first graders), and when needed. This week I worked Monday and Tuesday, (it's Wednesday here) and I already have some great stories.

Monday morning, I went in to Bunchkins from 12-2. I was working with the preschoolers, ages 3-5. There are 6 kids, 3 boys and 3 girls. They are all great, and have learned so much. One of the little girls, Lala (3yrs), is a total sweetheart. She and I connected when I was working last time, and she is still one of my favorites. She likes spending time with me, usually around craft time.

Somebody decided it would be a great idea to give the kids origami paper, pastel-like crayons, and tape. Needless to say, they love it. Lala spent about 10 minutes coloring a dark green piece of paper light green. She then ripped her artwork in half, and taped it back together. The entire time, she was laughing, and just generally having a great time. Afterwards, she showed it to me, and I studied it like it was the Mona Lisa... We can expect great things from this girl.

Tuesday, I went to Bunchkins at 2, to teach a class at 3. Overall the class went well, but it got off to a bit of a rocky start. This was a kindergarten class, so the kids were all around 5 years old, except one little boy, who was 3. The kids start to show up, and all is well. But then... Kazuki came... Kazuki is a 5 year old boy, who really doesn't like change.

The woman who usually teaches this class had let me know that Kazuki might have a problem with me. She had also called his mom to let her know... Unfortunately Kazuki was not having it. He had a major meltdown. He sobbed for twenty minutes straight, and would not have anything to do with me. The other kids tried to get him to come play with them, but he would not leave his mom. Finally realizing he wasn't going to calm down, she took him home.

Obviously after those two stories, what I am going to tell you next will not be a surprise at all. When I come back to America, I am going to start studying to be a teacher. And not just any teacher. A preschool teacher. Hopefully I will be able to teach English to preschoolers internationally, preferably in Japan. I am studying Japanese very hard, and I'll be sure to tell you the funny stories from that.

TTYL!
Clare

Biking, heat, and muscle mass?

Hey everyone!

So I'm trying to get better about blogging and what not. I keep thinking that there is nothing going on here that you all would wanna hear about, but then I remember that this is all about what I want to talk about! So here goes...

Getting around in Japan, I don't have a car. I tend to ride my bike, or take a train to places I want to go. Occasionally I walk, but most of the time I just bike. Now, I really enjoy biking, but it has gotten to be hard work, for two reasons.

Reason number 1. It is windy here. And I don't mean gentle sea breezes, I mean WINDY. As in gusts of wind that literally move people. It is extremely difficult to bike, when the wind is attempting to push you into the road. Also, the wind tends to blow against me as I bike, and so I put immense efforts into biking, to move about two feet. It's a hard life.

Reason number 2. It's the rainy season here. And that means that even when it isn't raining, it's humid. In the sense that I feel like the rain drops tried to fall, but got too lazy, and are now just sitting in the air waiting to splash on little unsuspecting me. It's gotten to the point that I constantly feel damp. Just all the time. Even when there is no reason for me to be damp, like I haven't gone outside. I just feel gross. I think my skin is molding.

But don't worry! Biking has been good for me too! I have begun to tan, (only on my arms) and I feel a lot healthier. Speaking of feeling healthier, I have a story for you...... (It's not too long)

As you may (or may not) know, my room is on the top floor. There is no air conditioning, and it gets really hot during the day. I have a fan, but it still feels boiling. One day, I was laying in my bed cooking alive, and I had the brilliant idea that if I raised my legs, I might become a bit cooler. (authors note, it didn't work) As I was doing this, I was looking at my legs, and I thought "My legs look funny... maybe I should poke them... yeah, that's a good idea..." So I did. And I found that my thighs are like rocks. No joke. I was amazed, and I do admit, my first reaction was that they weren't mine. But biking has been good to my thighs, and I am impressed with myself, because as you all probably know, I avoid exercise like the plague.

Well, I will try really hard to update more, with funny posts about my Japanese class, my Canadian friend, and the general hilarity of living in Japan.

じゃ、また　こんど！
クレア

I am horrible at blogging.

Hey guys!

It's been a while huh.... So, in April, I actually went back to the states. Surprise! But now I'm in Japan again... Double surprise! Yeah, so I am reallly bad about updating. But wait! Theres more! I have began taking a Japanese class, and am learning a lot. I have also been teaching, and am really enjoying it. I don't really know what else to say here, but hopefully I will get better about blogging. If I don't, here is a Video bLOG, (aka VLOG) that I have been working on with my Canadian friend.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lncIwJSuUtQ

Please check it out. There is only one video so far, but hopefully we will update again soon!

<3<3
Clare