Tomorrow is supposed to be a really cold day, and the weather reports on the web are predicting snow by the end of the weekend. That’s right – snow. My thin skin will be put to the test, especially if I’m slogging through snow drifts on my way to work. Hard to believe I was sweating like a madman just a few months ago.
I had a good time with my classes today. Today marked the last class that I will teach for the third year students – they will graduate at the end of the term, and so they will spend the rest of their term studying for end of the year exams. I spent today with them just screwing around a little. I talked about my trip to Australia, we did tongue twisters (in English and Japanese), and I tried a “two birds with one stone” project.
My upcoming lesson will be Valentine’s Day, and so I brought a lot of red, pink, and white paper to class. I explained briefly about Valentine’s Day, and then asked the students if they would cut out hearts and put Valentine’s messages on them in English. I was hoping to use the finished valentines as decorations for my classroom next month. Once the bell rang, the students liked their valentines so much that they took them along with them. I only got back three valentines, each from a love struck girl. It just goes to show that even when I think I am communicating a idea, it’s not always getting through.
After classes I studied my kanji in the afternoon, and various teachers came by alternatively to give me pointers and be amazed that a foreigner could write kanji. I learned the kanji for “paper”, “close”, and reviewed a few others. Each time I learn a new kanji I start to see it everywhere – it’s a nice feeling.
Tonight I had Jamaican chicken with rice, and a couple of Japanese rice balls thrown in for good measure. I did a last minute cancellation of my taco plans – I want to conserve my tortillas until I can check out a place in Kobe that supposedly carries them.
Tomorrow is the big “cheer up Mr. Kimura” party. I’m not sure who is going to be there, but it should be a good time.
