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

Hiroshima

Hey!

So, I am horribe at posting. D: Sorry. But I have news!

I just came back from a trip to Hiroshima. My younger brother Kenta and I went, and stayed for two days one night. We took the bullet train both ways, and hit both Peace Memorial Museum and Miyajima Shrine.

This blog post is only going to be about the Memorial Museum.

We  left Tuesday morning around 6:30 on the train, which meant we arrived in Hiroshima at 10. After a little confusion at the station, we found the streetcar we were taking, and we were off. We took the streetcar to Peace Memorial Museum, and started looking around. The admission fee was 30￥ for Kenta, (about $.30) and 50￥　for me. (about $.50) The museum was an eye opening experience for me. There was a lot we weren't taught in school, and it was very difficult for me to look through. While we were there, I saw a few other gaijins walking through, but I wasn't really paying attention.

The museum is very difficult to explain, but was a life changing experience. Every person should go there at least once. My mom asked me if I felt embarrassed, as an American in the museum. I didn't feel embarrassed, but I did feel はすかしい. (ashamed)

I left the museum with my eyes wide open. As we walked into the Memorial park, I saw the さくら　(cherry blossoms) blooming. (Picture above) They were beautiful. There is a cenotaph, which is like a ceremonial coffin for all the people who died. Engraved below are the words, "Let all the souls here rest in peace for we shall not repeat the evil". As I walked up, an おばーちゃん (grandmother) was making a prayer at the monument. I was so overwhelmed with the feeling of はずかしい that it brought tears to my eyes, and I had to walk away.

We also walked around the Childrens Monument, which was very hard for me to see. As we walked around, I noticed beautiful pieces of artwork. As I took a closer look, I found they were おりがみ　きじゅうき (paper cranes). As beautiful as this was, it was too much for me, and Kenta and I went back to the hotel.

I am really sorry that this wasn't exactly upbeat, but this was a very sobering experience.

さよなら
くまーちゃん

Sleep's just time spent wasting time

So everyone knows that I am still in Japan, even after the big earthquake. I have had a lot of people tell me it would be safer to come home, and that I shouldn't go back. But I feel that I belong here, in Japan. I am in love with this country, and I worked hard to get here. It took me months to get to where I am, but only 7 days for it all to crumble around me.

Life didn't stop when the earthquake hit. I kept on going out with my friends, and I went to class, and I lived my life. I know it's dangerous, but I need to live my life. I joke with my friends, we get coffee, and I am having a good time in Japan. Everyday is still a little scary, I don't know what's going to happen, but that won't stop me.

I just gotta keep on keeping on. My life is here, with my friends in Japan. My life is just starting. And I am staying for right now, and I will (hopefully) be coming back in May. I am happy here, and it'll take more than a little radiation to make me leave. From destruction comes creation. The pheonix rises from his ashes, as do I. (don't think I made that up. Can't remember where I heard it though) Japan is a strong country. And we will roll with the punches, and keep going.

I am in Japan, and I will come back to Japan. I love you all, but nothing is going to change that.

Earthquakes

So, today there was an earthquake. My very first ever. And let me tell you, that was not a fun experience. Today started out really nice and sunny. I went to Bunchkins in the morning, and it seemed like a great day. BUT THEN.....

I was walking to the station from Bunchkins, listening to music and not really paying attention, when all of a sudden, it got really windy. I didn't think much of it, because that happens sometimes. I wasn't thinking "OMG EARTHQUAKE" at all. I was just thinking "huh, wind sucks."

Then a young mother came running out of her house carrying her (probably) 2 year old son, and her dachshund. She was very obviously terrified, so without thinking I went over to her, and attempted to comfort her. Because I speak almost no Japanese, I just kept repeating, daijobu, (it's okay) over and over while patting her arm. Her son was young enough that he had no idea what was going on, and I did my best to keep it that way. This poor woman seemed on the brink of tears, so I stayed there throughout the whole thing, which felt like I was on a boat. Not the fun kind of boat that's on the open water, but the petrifying kind of boat that is made up of earth, which is NOT SUPPOSED TO MOVE. The mother kept apologizing to me, and I kept trying to tell her it was no problem. After she thanked me profusely, I kept walking. That's when I felt it.

The panic started to rise. I knew the only reason I hadn't broken down earlier was because of the mother and her child. I tried to keep my breathing under control as I attempted to calm down. The entire rest of the walk, (about 15 minutes) my jaw was so tightly clenched, it still hurts. I managed to not break down, and I finally got to the bus stop. I had about 20 minutes until my bus came, so I thought about getting some food. I quickly realized I felt sick, and eating was a big no no. Then it was time for the bus.

I got on the bus, and was sitting down waiting for it to start, when all of a sudden it happened again. The earth started to move, and I started to panic all over again. I convinced myself not to start hyperventilating on the bus, and made it home with no issues. I am currently typing this from the house, which is still standing and fine. All the animals are fine, not panicked at all, and I only broke down for about 15-20 minutes. I still am worried about the mother I sat with earlier, and I hope she was okay during the second set of tremors. I wish I could have gone back for her, but I am glad I could be there for her at all. I am safe, so is my host family, and I am calming down quickly.

I hope you all weren't too worried, and I love all of you.

<3

Children and nightmares and classes OH MY!

So I just realized my last two posts were about how things in Japan tried to kill me. So for a bit of a change, lets talk about how people in Japan are trying to kill me.

As you all should know, I have been working at Bunchkins recently. Up until last week, I only worked with the preschoolers. Last week though, I taught two classes of older kids. My Wednesday night class was with Yuha, and Miu. They are sweet, third grade girls, who are silent. Seriously, we spent an hour long class, with me talking, them doing the work I gave them, and only speaking to me when I asked a direct question. I was worried I had done something wrong. Aren't children supposed to be loud? Aren't they supposed to talk with each other, and with me? Am I just a horrible teacher? Or maybe it's just those girls are very quiet. The class went very well, and the girls were very nice. They did their work, understood what I was trying to teach, and thanked me at the end of class. I was still a little worried, but mostly I felt like I had done a good job.

My next class was Thursday night, from 4-6. This was a class of eight, with six boys and two girls. Yuha was in this class too, and I found myself looking forward to it. Kenta, my host brother, was also in this class, so I was less nervous then before. I did a short self-teach on my family, and had them looking at family photos. They guessed which one of my sisters was the oldest, and how old she was. *Maeda, I'm sorry but none of them chose you at first. When I finally told them it was you, and they guessed your age, they guessed you were 23.* It was a good way to break the ice, and soon we went on to talk about the book they were reading. I expected the boys to be rowdy, but they were all very quiet too. I made it through the two hour class and felt pretty good about it, although I have to say it still worried me how quiet they were.

When I got home that night, I wanted to get lots of sleep, because I was working with the preschoolers the next morning, and I knew they would wear me out. Unfortunately, my subconcious was not on board with me sleeping through the night, because at about 4 am, I woke up from a horrific nightmare. The nightmare included Selena Gomez, Junhyung, *one of the boys from a k-pop band I'm in love with* and a demonic fire-lady *who looked like the girl from the ring* who wanted to kill everyone. With fire. I was, of course, terrified. In my panicked state, I somehow managed to convince myself that if I just stayed curled up in my fear burrito of blankets, The fire-lady, who had somehow gotten into my room, wouldn't kill me. I literally sat shaking underneath the covers for half an hour before I managed to get the courage to snake my hand out and grab my computer. I finally got back to sleep around 6 am.

That morning I went into Bunchkins at around 9 am, to clean up from the night before, and get ready for the day. I was exhausted, and running on about 4 hours of sleep, and one cup of coffee. I was so tired, I could feel myself think. The morning was pretty uneventful, the kids came, we played around a little, all in all a good time. Then lunchtime came. Cocomu, my favorite little girl, didn't want to finish her lunch. She had been quiet and sleepy all day, and she said she was too tired to finish. That didn't mean she was too tired to eat her dessert. When I told her she couldn't, she burst into tears, and broke my heart. One of the other teachers took her aside to calm her down, and once again I was her best friend. Coco sat on my lap while I was kneeling for a good 15-20 minutes, effectively cutting off all blood flow to the lower half of my body, and making it impossible for me to walk. It was a good day.

At about 2:30, I started back towards the train station to catch my bus home. I was walking along, bobbing my head in time with the music coming from my NEW IPOD!! *I'm a little excited* I noticed people were kind of looking at me weird, but I decided to ignore it. I've gotten used to the looks, because not only am I a gaijin, (foreigner) I am also amazingly cute. It was beautiful out, and the 30 minute walk was just what I needed. I caught the bus, and got home by 4. It was a good day.

I hope to hear from ya'll soon!
Rainbows&&Kittens!