Great is his faithfulness

Such an amazing day! The Lord showed his love in so many small ways today.

最高な日。神様の愛がたくさん思い出した事があった。

The sun was shining, it was really nice getting to look at how everything changes in early spring on my drive to work this morning – I went to my most distant school.

太陽が出って、遠い学校まで運転して、たくさん事が春に変わった。

I got to watch in amazement as two of my more shy students already had figured out the pattern for counting above 20 and as they figured out what most of the lower-case letters were without any help.

恥ずかしい２人の生徒は３０から数られた。私たち教えなかったけど。小文字もだいたい分かった。

I got to introduce myself to a new teacher and encourage my 5th graders who will have English once a week from here on out.

新しい先生と紹介できて、５年生の最初の授業があった。生徒はすごい頑張った。

After class, I wanted to snap some pictures of the koi-nobori (the fish flags) so I walked around and took a few pictures.

戻る前にこいのぼり写真を撮りたかったから、歩いて撮った。

Right as I was finishing, my adorable 3rd and 4th graders came out and were so excited to see me they came running up and invited me to pick flowers with them. Since I had a bit of time before I had to be back, I agreed. I got to walk around with them in the warm sunshine and laugh and giggle.

終わり時にとても可愛い３・４年生が来た。私見てから、嬉しくて私の所まで走った。一緒に花を探して誘った。少し時間があったから、した。温かい日に一緒探した。

They gave me a small bouquet of flowers which is now sitting on my table.

戻る前にたくさん花がもらった。

I got to sing praises to the Lord in the car on the way back to school.

車で戻る中に神様に賛美できた。

When I arrived back at school, I got to plan for a speaking test I’ll be running. I’m so excited to be allowed to be a real teacher in these classes.

戻って、話す試験の準備した。本当の先生の事が出来るから、嬉しい！

After lunch, I received a small pile of letters from the 4 students who have been writing to me everyday since we started our English Passport system.

給食の後に４人生徒から手紙がもらった。

I got to laugh with the teachers as we watched one totally clueless student clean the mirrors – they were worse when he finished.

生徒の鏡掃除した事が見た。終わったの後にの方が汚いから先生たちと一緒に笑った。

It was a day filled with small reminders of God’s love.

神様の愛よく思い出した。

If these were my boots . . .

If these were my boots . . .

この長靴は私のだったら、

I’d wear them every day.

毎日履くと思う。

I did ask to trade with her. She didn’t like that idea.

この長靴を私の靴と交換すると聞いたけど。

Speech contest

 Recently, we had a speech contest for the Furano-area schools.
最近富良野の近いの中学校の英語発表会があった。

My first years, and 2 third year students took first place in their divisions! I was so proud of them.
私の１年生と３年生は１番目できた！

Apparently, I'm one of the only ALTs that likes green tea.
私だけぐらいお茶が好きらしい。

English contest

Today we had the Furano Area English Contest.

今日は富良野の英語発表会があった。

It was fun to see so many kids try so hard to use the English they've been using.

たくさん生徒最近習った英語を使て見た。頑張った。

I had 4 groups of kids enter – a group of first years, a group of second years, and two (separate) third years.

私の学校から4グループが入った。1年生のグループ、2年生のグループ、3年生は2人。

They did so well and 3 of the groups took 1st prize in their category. I was so excited for my students.

とても頑張った。1つグループと2人の3年生は1番目できた！

The other fun thing about this contest is that I got to meet the ALTs who are new to Furano this year. They’re a lot of fun!

他の楽しい事は今年の新しいALTがはじめった。

Surprise snow storm, day 1

8 am Leave for school. Notice the snow has started early, but there’s not enough to take a picture. Use neighbor’s car for contrast.

8時　学校へ行く。雪は早い始まった。少ないから、写真に見えないから、近所の黒い車の前に写真を撮る。

8:40 On the way to 1st period, stop for a picture of the gorgeous tree in the tiny amount of snow.

8時40分　1時間目へ行く。雪が見えるから、写真を撮る。

10:30 After 2nd period. First years, you have the best view of this gorgeous tree. Also, look at all that snow.

10時半　2時間目が終わった。1年生は一番いい眺めがある。この木はとてもきれい。そして、雪が積もっています。

12:40 pm Electricity goes out again, comes back on quickly.

12時40分　2回目の停電、はやい終わり。

2 pm Electricity goes out

14時　停電

2:30 pm Class started 20 minutes ago, teacher wasn’t paying any attention, with no bells to remind her, she didn’t notice.

14時半　授業は20分前に始まったけど、先生は時計が見えなかった。チャイムがなかった。

3 pm Busses and trains are cancelled, how are we getting the students home?

15時　バスと電車は中止した。生徒と富良野に住んでいる先生はどう帰る？

3:45 pm Bus has snow tires now, kids can go home.

15時45分　バスのタイヤが変わった。生徒は帰る。

4 pm Teachers go home. My car is covered in snow, I’m not wearing snow clothes. I-sensei, can I get a ride to the convenience store? (It’s close to my house).

16時　先生は帰る。　私の車で雪積もるし、冬の服を着ないし、I先生はコンビニまで運転する。

4:15 pm Arrive at I-sensei’s house. He forgot about me. Can I help with changing the tires? No, go inside and play with the kids.

16時15分　I先生の家に着いた。　I先生は私が忘れちゃった。男の先生たちはタイヤの変わるの始まる。手伝える事が聞いたけど、子供たちと家で遊ぶ。

4:55 pm The tires are changed.

16時55分　タイヤが変わった。

5:05 pm Arrive home. Find a flashlight and light a candle. Remember the large, camping flashlight that I spotted this morning.

17時05分　家は着いた。　懐中電灯と蝋燭が探す。　朝に見たの大きいキャンプの懐中電灯が思い出す。

6 pm Pull dinner out of the refrigerator. Luckily, one of my choir friends made me dinner yesterday and it’s still cold. Thankfully, it doesn’t require any heat.

18時　冷蔵庫から夕食を食べる。昨日合唱の友達から夕食がもらった。コンロが要らないけど、寒い。

6:30 pm Finish my cold dinner and wish I had a way to make hot tea. Then, remember the hand warmers I have for winter.

18時半　寒い夕食が終わった。　お茶を飲みたいから、お湯が欲しい。　カイロがあった事思い出す。

7 pm Find out school is cancelled tomorrow.

19時　明日に学校が中止と聞いた。

7:10 pm Find out school is cancelled for the students.

19時10分　生徒だけ明日に学校が中止と聞いた。

Small Shrine Festival

Earlier this month, one of my smaller areas in town had their shrine festival. One of the teachers invited me to come and it was a lot of fun.

9月に神社祭へ行った。E先生は誘って、楽しかった。

The first night we just had a barbecue and hung out.

最初の夕方に焼肉した。

The second day, I went out in the afternoon after my classes had finished.

2日目に昼から。でも、私は授業が終わったら、行った。

I missed something in the early afternoon, but I arrived in time for floor curling. When I arrived, one of my students was telling me that his team was going to win . . .

着いた時に皆はフロアカーリングをしていた。生徒は「私のチームはぜひ勝つ」と言ったけど、

. . . I ended up on his team and we were either last or second to last.

私はその生徒のチームにいた。私たちは6番目か5番目にいた。

These three were the judges.

この3人は審判した。

After the afternoon of sports – floor curling and mini volleyball, there was a party in the community center.

スーポツの後にパティがあった。

I ended up sitting between one of my students’ very sleepy younger sisters and an empty chair. I was thankful when one of the super friendly moms came over and started talking to me.

生徒のとても眠い妹と空椅子の間に座ることになった。優しいお母さんは来て話したことうれしかった。

My kids played taiko. They are so good at it!

生徒はたいこした。とても上手だった！

They carried around the mikoshi (festival float). It was vegetables, quite fitting for this farm community.

みこしがあった。野菜のいいね！

After that, it was time for karaoke. E-sensei had a song and dance for us.

カラオケがあった。E先生は歌って踊った。

Lots of other people sang.

たくさん人は歌った。

This person sang a song that lots of people knew the dance to.

この人はたくさん人が踊る歌が歌った。

And of course, we played bingo. Paper products are Japan’s favorite bingo prize. Look at all that toilet paper.

もちろん、ビンゴした。紙製品は日本の大好きな賞だね。

It was a fun festival.

祭りが楽しかった。

Summer Adventures: Obon festival

After we got back from our trip to Nemuro, N and I went to an Obon festival in my town. 

根室から帰ったの後にNと私の町でお盆祭りへ行った。

M took all the pictures that are on my blog this time, because I was too busy dancing and playing with kids to take pictures. 

Mちゃんはこのブログの写真全部撮った。私は踊りして子供たちと遊んだから、写真を撮らなかった。

It had rained earlier in the day, so the festival was in the elementary school gym. 

前に雨を降ったから、祭りは小学校の体育館であった。

Here is the Obon dance. 

これは盆踊り。

A picture of a group of us - M, N, a student's mom, a student's cousin and me. 

グループの写真を撮った。MとNと生徒のお母さんと生徒のいとこと私。

A few more people joined in this photo. 

もう2人一緒に撮った。

It was a really fun evening with my students and friends in town. 

町に生徒と友達と楽しかった！

Fun in English class

Today in English class, we talked about what "cross your fingers" means. 

英語の授業に「cross your fingers」について話した。

Of course, this was the result: 

もちろん、生徒たちはこのようして見た。

Of course, this is more of what I'd think of. 

実はこのイメージが考えている。

Saturday adventures

On Saturday, I joined my super adorable 1st graders for a noodle-catching game. It was fun, but a bit difficult because my food isn't usually moving when I try to pick it up. 

土曜日に小学校1年生とこれした。楽しかったけど、難しい。だいたい食べる時に私の食べ物を動かない。

In the evening, I decided to ride my bicycle to the lake and have dinner. 

夕方に自転車で湖に食べに行った。

This was the view on the way. 

行く中にこれ見た。

My friend's mom has a restaurant at the lake and her curry was delicious. 

友達のお母さんのレストランは湖である。カレーは美味しかった！

Vegetable curry, so colorful!

野菜カレーは色いっぱいあった。

This was the sky when I got close to home. 

帰る時にこの空を見えた。

Lunch with elementary school students

On Wednesday, I got to have lunch with my 6th grade students. It was fun chatting with them.

水曜日に６年生と昼ご飯を食べた。一緒に話を楽しかった。

They’re building a new elementary school practically on top of the old one.　The kids got maps of the new building on Wednesday, it was interesting to see the new layout.

新しい小学校は建っている。生徒は新しい学校の地図をもらった。おもしろい。

They put the roof on the swimming pool. It will be swimming season, soon!

今すぐ泳ぐの時！

Dinner with new teachers

Today, I went out for dinner with two of the new high school teachers.

今日２人の新しい高校の先生と晩ご飯を食べた。

They are brand new teachers, just graduated from college.

今年の前に卒業した。

The one on the right is one of two new English teachers this year.

右のは新しい英語の先生。

This was my dinner! Look at all those bright, colorful veggies!

私の晩ご飯！明るい野菜があった！

It was a lot of fun getting to chat with these two.

話が楽しかった。

*  *  *  *  *

In other news, I had my first English club of the year today! I didn’t know it was even going to continue this year until yesterday.

今日英語の部活がはじめた。　昨日の前続くことが知らなかった。

I have 4 students this year – 3 girls and 1 boy.

今年４人　－　女３人、男１人。

We shared some things about ourselves and then we played Apples to Apples. Best English club game, EVER.

私たちは自分のこと教えてから、「Apples to Apples」と言うゲームをした。　英語の部活に最高ゲーム。

I had fun, the kids had fun and we all finished with a smile. Now I’ve gotta think of something good for next week.

私と生徒は楽しかった。　来週いいアクチビティが考えなければならない。

A conversation in English class

Here’s a conversation I had in class with two of my students.  

今日の英語授業の会話２人生徒と

Me: Are you ready? (to the whole class).

Student 1: No. Never.

Me: You’re a bad student today! (My smile revealing that I don’t think this at all).

Student 2: I’m a good student!

Me: You forgot your homework today!  (Also with a big smile).

*  *  *  *  *

Because I like tea, and I like to put pictures on my blog, here’s some tea.

お茶が好きだし、ブログに写真をのせるのが好きだし、お茶。

Fun moments in the classroom

In Japan, students and their teachers eat lunch in the classroom. It’s a fun time to get to chat with the students about whatever is going on and usually a good chance to practice my Japanese.

日本では生徒と先生と教室に給食を食べる。生徒と話したながら、日本語を練習した。 楽しい給食時間を過ごした！

Yesterday, I walked in to the 2nd year classroom (where I eat my lunch), and one of my students was singing my name, “Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca!” I didn’t know why, but it made me laugh.

昨日２年生の教室へ行ってから、１人生徒は自分の名前が歌った、「レベッカ、レベッカ、レベッカ」。なぜか分からなかったけど、びっくりから、私は笑った。

After a few times of this, I decided that if he was going to be silly, I could be too. So I started singing his name back to him, “D~, D~, D~.” He got a laugh out of that, too.

数回の後、その面白かったら、私もできる。　だから、私もその生徒の名前を歌った、「D～、D～、D～」。　彼も笑った。

*  *  *  *  *

The second year teachers!

２年生の先生たち。

多分よく間違ったから、教えてください！

Community

In Japan, teachers move every few years to a new placement and to teach new students. It’s always sad saying goodbye to teachers I’ve gotten to know over the year.

日本には、先生たちはよく引っ越す。いつも「さよなら」と言うことはさみしい。

But, one of the things I love about the time when the teachers move, is that often many community members will come out to help.

でも、引っ越すの好きな事はたくさん人手伝いに来る。

On Monday T-sensei was leaving. She’s a single, female teacher with plenty of stuff to move, but not so many people to help her. Many students who probably had her as a math teacher came to help, in fact, most of them were high school students, rather than her current junior high students.

月曜日にT先生は引っ越した。彼女は１人だけ。たくさん荷物があるけど、手伝う人がいない。T先生は中学の先生けど、高校生いっぱい手伝いに来た。

I’m always amazed at how a whole apartment ends up fitting in a truck!

１台トラックにできた。

Today another teacher moved out and another in. They both didn’t have very much stuff, so the whole group didn’t need to come and help.

今日他の２人は引っ越した。両方荷物あまりないから、みんなは行かなかった。

*  *  *  *  *

Also, my list of things to photograph while in Japan is here. If you have any other ideas, feel free to let me know what else I should add : )

私の日本に住んでいる時に写真を撮りたいリストはここ。 他の写真を撮るの考えがあったら、コメントをしてください！

Photo Challenge Day 20 & 21

March 20: On my feet

What was on my feet yesterday? The camera socks mom gave me! Fitting, right?

March 21: close-up

I procrastinated again. So in looking around my living room for something interesting to photograph, I found my journal. The pages look kinda cool close up and only partially in focus, don’t you think?

*  *  *  *  *

Yesterday was the first day of spring, so we had the day off. So, I went to lunch with my friend Minami. We had hamburg curry. It was yummy.

After lunch, we went for coffee. It was rainy, but warm (5C/40F) yesterday. I was so surprised because we had lots and lots of rain.

It was tons of fun. I also got more work finished on my crochet project. Pictures will be posted eventually, but since it’s a gift for a friend, I want to keep it a secret for now.

After yesterday’s “spring” visit, Hokkaido winter decided it wanted to show us who’s boss. We got 6 inches or so of snow last night and it snowed like crazy all day. I had eikaiwa tonight, or I would have wanted to go out on the ski hill and practice a bit more before it closes on Saturday.

I had my last practice with my high school HEC kids this afternoon. They’re hilarious. One said the other had large eyes and then she decided to use her ruler to measure her friend’s eyes. Between that and a comment about her friend being a fish-pig, we were all laughing so hard. I have such awesome students.

Confessions of a Janken player

“You’re a strong Janken player” is what one of my students said about me (as translated by the English teacher). The funny thing is I have learned how to win or lose at Janken in Japan on purpose.

Janken, for those of you not in Japan, is Rock, Paper Scissors. Japanese people have an incredible chant that goes with it, I don’t completely have it down and I’m pretty sure I’m mis-pronouncing the words when I do say them.

Different from home though, is the fact that EVERYTHING can be decided by Janken here. Which team are you on for a sports game? Janken. Who just won the card in the game we’re playing as a class? Janken. I’ve even heard rumors that it’s used in Japanese business meetings (obviously I’m not present, so I’m not so sure).

Anyways, I figured out that I can decide whether to win or lose when I was first playing with students shortly after arriving. It was about a week after school started and all the elementary students from my four small schools came together at Shimokanayama Elementary, for a grand total of 29 students.

On this day, we had a big tournament where each time you won, people hooked onto your back and you kept going with this train of people behind you. Well the first few times I didn’t really have the chant down and I didn’t know when to show my symbol. So somehow, I ended up with paper. Then I realized I was winning each time. My elementary students were always playing rock first.

I thought, there’s no way, someone has to play something different. But can I win the whole thing only playing paper? Sure enough, who was the winner? Me. So in a battle against teachers and students, the foreigner who was playing for the first time in Japan won. Awesome!

Today, we played a game that used it as well. It was a game where we had flash cards laid out and the two teams were starting at either end of the line, when they met they had to say “Dom!” then Janken (used as a verb here). The loser went back, their team started from the beginning, and the other team continued. The goal was to get to the other end.

I based what I played on where we were in the line. If I was less than half way through, I would play paper and win, if more than that, I would play scissors and lose, giving the students who aren’t native English speakers a fair chance. Most of the time this theory worked. My team never did get to the other end, but I did find a few students who played something else and won or lost when I wasn’t expecting to.

At the end of class, students share their impressions. One girl commented that I am a “strong Janken player.” I had to laugh on the inside because she must have just met me each time when I was “winning” rather than “losing.”