Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Brief Update

Same old, same old. Not really, I've been here less than a month, but you know.

I'm getting really comfortable with my school. I'm amazed I'm not scared to go up to random teachers and students and start talking to them, but usually it ends up something like "Wow, your Japanese is so good!" "No, no, not yet." (Funny thing, if your Japanese is bad, they compliment it and feel comfortable with you, if it's really good, then that's when they get uncomfortable because you're a foreigner upsetting the status quo, the idea that Japanese is a hard language that only Japanese people can speak and that makes them special.) But with the students, its mostly in Japanese and some English. I don't like to talk to them in English outside of class because I don't want them to associate me with having to work. It could either be "Oh, I'm going to talk to Kim!" or it could be "I wanna talk to Kim, but I really don't want to embarrass myself in front of a native speaker, or have to do extra work outside of class" So, which one will it be?

There's this kid that lived in Detroit for three years and his English is better than my Japanese. He translates for his classmates sometimes. I discovered him today when I was checking their conversations and he zipped right through it. Super-Genki Boy introduced me to him. (Genki means happy, energetic.) Super-Genki Boy is always yelling and jumping and running and dancing and everything and his favorite thing to do is a thumbs up with "OK! VERY GOOD!" (But it comes out "O-Keh, Verly Guudo!") when he walks by me or in the middle of us talking. Also, in my self introductions, every time the teacher asked a question he would yell out "CACTUS!" He is very funny. Also, my teachers and I have started referring to the other kid as Skirt-Boy. So that's his name now.

Today we went to see a play, something about a phoenix. I didn't get it at all. But it took place a long time ago, so everybody was wearing robes, and there were daimyo or something like that, and swords, and a couple of characters that looked like they came out of a martial arts video game. There was this one part though, that really shocked me. I mean, the play was pretty serious in itself, I couldn't tell if it was a childrens play because it was so hokey and overly-dramatic, or if it was a regular play because sometimes it seemed so dramatic. But I think it was a children's play. But anyways, there was this point in the middle of a song, where one of the video game looking characters took off her robe! Her back was to the audience, so you couldn't see anything, but I was still surprised. The kids didn't really react, though, and it didn't seem like the teacher next to me cared at all, so whatever. It was just a part of the play. Anyways, then the other lady came up to her and covered her with her kimono sleeve and the stage rotated and it faded out so we never saw anything except her back.

I think I'm gonna go shopping tomorrow. Yay!

P.S. Jennifer, start saving!! :)

4 comments:

J-Gro said...

OK, I will start saving!! I don't have much time! I like your blog Kimbo. I can't wait to meet your kids, it's so funny that they take quizzes about us!!

Vanessa Rogers said...

Kimberly, you are a blog manic! I never seem to be able to post so many blogs as you are. I am going to put your blog on the side bar of mine, under blogs I read, so I can see when you update it! I am glad you are having so much fun! Not sure when our visa process will be finished, but hopefully soon!

Kimberlina!! said...

Jennifer: Yesterday when one of the teachers was getting getting the kids to quiet down before class, this one kid in the back of the room said "Jennniiiffaaaa" and I gave him a funny look and laughed. I don't know how they remembered your names.

Vanessa: Yay! Good luck!!!

J-Gro said...

hahahaha