Yup, This is My Job...

I guess the most frequently asked question I get is, "What exactly are you doing over there?" To that, my most common answer is, "Well, it's difficult to explain". I think that's a fair answer, given that it is quite impossible to explain the job in a minute or two, especially if the person has never been to Takko let alone Japan. Well, here is my attempt to give a truncated explanation of what I do...

My schedule is different everyday. I report to four different schools and teach afternoon/night classes for all ages at the Garlic Center. The best part about teaching English to the people here is that the conversation you have trying to figure out what the other person is saying is far more fun than actually going through the exercises. What's even better is listening to the toddlers and kindergartners trying to make the strange sounds that the English language possesses and then just letting them do it because it's entertaining, and not to mention ADORable!

Me (trying to sound out the word brown): "B-b-b-b-b-b...."

Them: "PURPLE!"

Thanks, Patrick :)

Same goes for in the office. The people I work closest with speak English and are fluent (although they would never label themselves as so). Two of them have been to Gilroy several times, but they've all been exposed to American culture through the various Gilroy groups that visit Takko and through the CIRs. Joking around with language makes up the majority of our conversations and no matter how many times I hear it, I crack up every single time they bust out a curse word.

Me (reading a sign as we're driving through town): "'Takko Is It'...what?"

YT: "Does that make sense?"

Me: "No. Why is Takko 'it'? What is 'it'??"

KS: "Yea, what the hell is 'it'?"

Funny as that is, it definitely isn't the worst that I've heard. But this entry is rated PG ;)

Another trait about this job is that it is random as all hell and even though you have a very set schedule for each day, it's going to be different guaranteed. I walked in to the hoikuen (nursery school) on my first day to meet everyone and at the end of the day, they invited me on their field trip to Lake Towada the next day. An entire day to just play with kids? Um yeaaa, I think I'll take it! Same goes for work! Today I walked in, couldn't find Mieko (my mother hen at Yakuba), and an hour before lunch learned that I'd be eating an authentic Filipino lunch with a small group of Filipino women in Takko. And note to self, make sure to check the calendar regularly - I have Monday off from work and I just found out last night.

Speaking of the hoikuens...every once and awhile I get hooked up with some quality nap time. That's right - NAP time. I'm not sure how much sleep I actually get seeing that all the kids sit there and whisper "Jeshka sannnn jeshka sannnn" and play with my "yellow" hair.

But besides playing with kids, napping and participating in wordplay, I, with the help of my partners in crime, plan the trips between Takko and Gilroy and not only do I help plan them, but I get to go on the trips too. Not gonna lie, it can be stressful from time to time (okay, I have yet to finish planning and completing my first trip) but the end result is definitely worth it.

So in a nutshell, that's my job. I'm aware that I've missed a detail here and there, but don't worry - I won't hesitate to update you. Oh and to top it all off, I have a beautiful walk to my office in the morning :)

Minasan mata ne!