Week 5

April 26, Day 28:
By the end of the day today, I had a handful of kids who literally could not keep their eyes open during story-time. You know that feeling when you’re falling asleep in an upright position and your head keeps bobbing up and down? That’s what was happening on the carpet as I read “We Don’t Eat Our Classmates” while parents came to pick up their kids (not a huge fan of this book by the way). One girl tried literally holding her eyes open to try and stay awake. One boy actually fell over as he was waving goodbye because he was mostly unconscious. I really wore them out! It was also a very humid day. 99% humidity at 7:30pm! People keep telling me summer’s here are the worst because of the humidity… woo hoo? I’ll need to find some work-appropriate shirts that don’t show sweat… is that possible? My hand is still cramping from all of the tiny flowers I cut out after work today, so I must stop typing

April 27, Day 29:
It’s surprisingly entertaining to watch a kindergartener try to get sticky rice off of her fingers. As she tries to brush it off of one finger, it gets stuck on another finger and the process repeats itself until she finally just smears the rice on her skirt. Since we’re talking about rice, did I mention the time a girl was putting rice in her belly button? Kindergarteners sure do get some strange ideas… Since we aren’t allowed to talk at lunch (yes, because of COVID), I usually play classical Disney music while we eat. I recently found out one of my students loves the movie “SING”, so I played a song from the soundtrack and it was a hit. Is it safe for students to be wiggling in their chairs while they eat? I suppose it’s safer than running around with chopsticks. I had to leave halfway through the day to attend a “Culture Talk” where I learned about Japanese culture in the workplace and in social settings. You can read more about what I learned on the “Things I’ve Learned” page. Going to bed early tonight.

April 28, Day 30:
Today we did an earthquake drill in the morning. This earthquake drill was a lot different from what I saw as a teacher in Oregon. There was no screaming, no running, and no confusion because everyone knew what to do, including the 4-year olds. They quietly gathered in an open space in the classroom (there weren’t enough tables out to hide under) and put their hands over their heads. I nearly forgot my teacher duties of opening the windows and securing the exit because I was so impressed. I mean, everyone is more comfortable with earthquakes because they are more frequent here than in Oregon, but I’m constantly amazed with the self-control seen in these children. Other than the drill, today was a completely normal day. For stations, we practiced cutting in a straight line, rainbow-tracing the letter “z”, listening to stories and songs in English, and working together to complete an insect floor puzzle. I say “we” as though I’m doing the stations too, but I think we can all assume I already know how to use scissors and can write the letter z six times in rainbow order. Although, you’d be surprised how difficult it is for me to trim paper in a straight line without a guide. Anyways, my students have already learned so much about English and are beginning to use it confidently. In the morning, they say “Good morning Ms. Melia” and although they still sometimes call me “Melia sensei” on the playground, I’m just glad they remember my name. The English teachers here are forbidden from speaking any Japanese at school because it’s a full immersion program, but I accidentally used a Japanese word while playing outside today. We were lining up to go down a long metal slide when all of the students started chanting “ee-oh, ee-oh, ee-oh”. I thought it was a fun chant, so I joined in with them, not knowing they were saying “ready! ready! ready!” in Japanese… As soon as I said the first “ee-oh”, all the kids around me froze and exclaimed “Nihongo! Nihongo!” which means “Japanese! Japanese!”. I quickly told them I don’t speak Japanese but they were shrieking so loud I don’t think they heard me before disappearing down the slides. Oops.

April 29, Day 31: One Month in Japan!
Today is a Japanese holiday called Showa day! Showa Day honors the birthday of Emperor Hirohito (the reigning Emperor before, during, and after World War II). There’s no school today, and we had a staff BBQ/kickball tournament. Burgers, potato salad, homemade cookies, and golden kiwis for lunch! Tasted like America. After lunch, we gathered for the annual kickball game (Maruyama campus vs. Takamori campus). When the vice principal began reading the very specific, official rules, I realized how seriously they take this game. Kickball champion bragging rights are apparently a big deal. The rain began to fall in the second inning which only made it more dramatic. Unfortunately, Maruyama (my campus) lost 12-19… Maybe next year. The burger with ketchup and cheese was a refreshing reminder of home, but it doesn’t quite cure my homesickness like a bowl of my mom’s homemade pasta would. It’s both a blessing and a curse to have a mom who can cook like a professional. I miss home.

April 30, Day 32:
Brave moment of the day: walking to the train station department store by myself without directions, without phone service, and without my book of helpful Japanese phrases. It’s about a mile away which doesn’t seem too daunting, but considering the absence of street signs, familiar buildings, and Google translate, I was intimidated to go. Long story short, I made it there and back without any issues. Stressed for nothing. The metro station is called Izumi Chuo and it’s beneath two six-story department stores called Ario and Selva. My main objective was to get cash from the ATM but I temporarily forgot how to be an adult and didn’t realize I needed a PIN number for my credit card. Lol. I may not have secured the cash I needed, but I did secure a new Miffy lunch box and placemat! If you’ve never heard of Miffy, she is an adorable fictional rabbit appearing in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch artist, Dick Bruna. Look her up! Everyone has an “obsession” here whether it be Hello Kitty, Pokemon, Totoro, etc. and mine is officially Miffy. I’ll probably have Miffy-themed everything by the end of the year. A coworker actually gifted me a Miffy glass mug last week! 💛 ANYWAYS, I sauntered through the stores for a couple hours before heading back home. On my way back, I walked through Moomin Nanakita Park which was buzzing with children, picnics, craft fair booths, and old people exercising. Everything is blooming right now; flowers, trees, plants, and me haha.

May 1, Day 33:
Here’s a funny story for you… My mom sent me a package about a month ago and it finally arrived on Wednesday! I sliced it open before I even put down my work bag to be reunited with my favorite oatmeal packets, photos from home, a couple hats, mini marshmallows, and a couple other objects I had requested. Such a heart-warming feeling! Anyways, I had asked my mom to put some dehydrated orange slices in the package to hang up in my room. They were no where to be seen, so I just assumed they didn’t make the final cut. On FaceTime with my mom yesterday, I asked her about the oranges and she replied, “What do you mean? I remember putting them in the package…” After a few puzzled seconds, we both realized what had happened. Someone had removed the oranges from my package! I quickly Google-translated the paper that was on top of my goodies when I opened it (originally thinking it was just a receipt or something), and sure enough, the Ministry of Agriculture had confiscated my dried oranges because there was not a “phytosanitary certificate” submitted for the “plant”. You can read the notice below, but who would have thought dehydrated oranges would cause such a commotion? They’re concerned about the entry of fruit flies, but there aren’t any fruit flies on dried fruit. What a bummer. I am now on the lookout for a dehydrator to make my own orange slices (and dried apples, bananas, and strawberries to snack on). My mom and I got a good laugh out of the situation.

May 2, Day 34: Children’s Day!
It’s the middle of Golden Week (a series of four national holidays that take place within one week at the end of April to the beginning of May each year) and today we celebrated Children’s Day early at school since we don’t have school tomorrow, Wednesday, or Thursday. Children’s Day a national Japanese holiday celebrating the health, happiness, and individuality of the country’s children. The other holidays are Shōwa Day (April 29), Constitution Day (May 3), and Greenery Day (May 4). There’s your brief Japanese history lesson for the day. For Children’s Day, we had an outdoor ceremony where the students danced, sang, and ran a race together. The best part was eating Kashiwa mochi (red-bean-paste-filled mochi wrapped in oak leaf) at a picnic table afterwards. Some of the kids didn’t like the smell of the oak leaf and hardly touched the mochi. What a shame. I enjoyed every bite (except for the oak leaf; you aren’t supposed to eat that part). Man, I’m using a lot of parentheses today. Okay, one more interesting fact about Children’s Day. Have you ever seen those fish flags (🎏)? These carp flags are known as ‘koinobori’ and are flown everywhere around Japan as a symbol of Children’s Day. I didn’t have time to take a photo of the flags today and it was getting dark by the time I went home, but I’m sure I’ll see some on Thursday (actual Children’s Day).