Today we continued interview tests, and next week all of my classes will be interview tests, so I’ll be going through some serious Q&A. The students did very well overall. I had told them that they would get bonus points for using gestures and appropriate expressions, and they responded well. Two students were acting out an entire scene in the hallway. Kind of a “Japanese Hamlet Goes Shopping” scene.
After school I taught an extra lesson for the students that are going to Australia. I did my best to help them with their expectations – but having never been to Australia I couldn’t entirely help them out. Some of the most astonishing facts for them: 1) They will be wearing shoes inside the houses they stay in 2) They will probably take baths and use soap at the same time, instead of washing and then bathing. I tried to get across the “When In Rome” idea, but I don’t think it translated well.
I snuck out of work five minutes early, and caught the train home. Miss Kageyama and I had plans to grab some dinner and go bowling.
We grabbed some ramen at a restaurant near my house, and then we set out to go bowling in Akashi. She hadn’t been bowling in five months, I haven’t been in more than five years. She turned out to be a pretty good bowler.
Since I haven’t been in a bowling alley in a long time, I was impressed with how far technology has come. I rented my shoes from a vending machine (Size 28.5), and strapped on the pink and purple clown shoes. We’re talking neon colored bowling balls, loud music and strange videos. There was a person that stood in the back of the bowling alley behind each lane, and watched while you played – ostensibly to prevent you from doing any damage or hurting yourself.
After two games of bowling (my combined score – 140) we checked out the shopping center’s plaza, but they were just breaking down a food court of Japanese food stands. Finally we got back in the car and she dropped me off at my place. I’m downloading Survivor and listening to A Perfect Circle’s new album. Tomorrow I’m heading into Osaka in the evening to attend a party with Antoine. I have no idea what the whole thing is about – I’m just kind of going along for the ride.
