Currently Listening Beat By Kaela Kimura see related

Well today is Halloween and I completely forgot.  I guess the joys that come with the holiday are just not as fun as a grown-up.  Not to mention it is not celebrated in Japan the way it is in America.  There were a lot of people dressed up going to parties over the weekend and there were tons of Halloween decorations in stores.  But if there are not little kids running around in funny costumes it is just not the same.  Not to mention the weather is unusually warm for the end of October.  In the daytime it is shorts and T-shirt weather for me.   

So I have been studying Japanese half-assed off and on for the past year or so but have not gotten very far.  Yes, I can pick up more words here and there but I can’t really understand.  I figured that being at an elementary school I would be able to learn what the ichi nensei, first grade students, were learning, although they are miles ahead of me.  When they speak to me I feel like a total idiot.  So I decided to go to school.  Really, today was my first lesson sitting in the classroom with the students.  I had my own desk, books and notebook paper.  The chair was really low to the ground and my knees were up near my head.  I felt like Billy Madison.  It was fun.  I actually am learning with them.  I mean I can’t understand most of the directions but I get to practice writing kanji and hearing the native tongue.  I am going to start sitting in on the class Monday’s and Tuesday’s.  I might try ni nensei, second grade, just to do it.  Another advantage to sitting in on the class is that the kids get to know you better.  They begin to feel more comfortable around you and today I was even asked to play tag and jump rope.

After class it was lunchtime.  Usually lunch is the same type of helpings.  Some soup with tons of stuff in it (mushroom, onions, edamame, carrots, peas you name it), bread, some type of meat, rice and milk.  Although today was a bit different.  I was kind of looking forward to it.  Whale was on today’s menu.  It was karage, fried, but it was good.  Being at an elementary school is fun but it wears you out.  Ahhh, shindoii.