the good life?! no - you're all nuts

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I had the funniest class this morning where I had to talk to the students about the differences between accents, when using English. My JTE made me say 'Hi! How are you?! I'm going to go shopping today' in an English, American and Australian accent... the English one was obviously fine, the American one was ok but the Australian one was shocking! And the way they just took it so seriously and didn't realise how ridiculous I sounded just made me start laughing! And once I started, I couldn't stop... they thought it was funny 'cause they didn't know why there were tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks!
After all that, the teacher then said 'kurikai shimasu' which means 'one more time' - I started laughing before I even opened my mouth! I'm sure they all think I'm nuts.

In a different class, we were talking about nicknames and he asked me for examples of names, which can be shortened... He asked me if I ever had a nickname and I said that some friends used to think it was funny to call me 'Dee' so they could walk past me and say 'Hi... Dee'... but the joke was obviously lost in translation as the kids looked at me with blank faces! He then asked the kids for suggestions as to what my nickname could be... one of them said 'E.T' which I thought was rather random and quite rude! I've never been told that I look like a weird alien before! Nobody laughed though, which either means that it's an affectionate Japanese term or that the whole class also think I look like a strange little alien!

I had a lovely long chat with my JTE about school life once again as I'm desperate to change their work/life attitudes before I leave! I asked how late the teachers have to stay at School every day and he said that they are supposed to stay until 4:45 like me, but then Japanese teachers HAVE to take on a club activity, which can run on late into the evening. He said that it isn't uncommon for teachers to still be at school at 8! AND he said some teachers train on the weekend with their clubs or sports teams - the basketball team train all day Saturday and Sunday! It's shocking! I asked if the teachers got any extra money for this coaching but he said they would get very little... maybe 1 or 2 pounds an hour! Their pay is shocking enough as it is!
I said I thought it was really sad that the Japanese put their job first and not their family or their friends. I said that on the whole in England, people see a job as a job and work hard but then come home and really enjoy time with their friends and family. He said that wasn't really the case in Japan and even after some teachers leave work, they go to the pachinko parlours (slot machines) where they gamble away their money and then turn up at home just to go to sleep. He couldn't understand why I thought this was such a sad way to live!

I've also just spent my lunchtime chatting to another JTE and the teacher who sits next to me about the same issue. I felt really guilty when I said that teachers in England got 13 weeks holiday a year... they almost choked on their food! They said they only get 20 days a year and even then, if they take a day off for sickness - that is counted as one of their holidays! haha, what a holiday?!?! They both told me that the Japanese always think of others first and if they take a holiday, it means they are letting other teachers down and giving them more work. One of the JTEs is taking 1 day holiday so she can have a long weekend in hokkaido and she said that she had to really apologise to the other basketball coach, as she would have to miss training that weekend. She then realised that she would also have to cancel one of our classes that day and she apologised to me! I told her to go enjoy her holiday and get a life! I'm glad they don't take offence when I call them all crazy! I said that I would try and find them jobs teaching Japanese in England and that they could stay with me for a while! I think they are seriously considering it!

I'm determined to drag at least one of the teachers out with me when I leave at 5 pm today, though the look of horror on their faces when I suggested it, probably means I won't have much success!

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Comments

[alie bacon]

Hi have just caught up with all your news,sounds like you are still having fun!Have had a good week off,been to center parcs,lots of cycling!walking,drinking and eating!(just like you really!) I expect you have had a great weekend with your mum and dad,can't wait to hear about it.Take care xx