The kids are alright

I can't believe I've been writing this blog for so long and have yet to mention the kids that make this job bearable. Especially at my new school- the kids are such characters that I laugh everyday (a lot of the time I shouldn't be laughing, but I do anyway!)

There's this second year boy who squeezed himself into the small book cupboard unnoticed by the teachers during class. When they finally managed to drag him out of the cupboard and ask him why he did it- he said he liked the dark. But then this is also the kid who likes to stand behind people and make a praying motion behind their back. Sometimes he opens his mouth like he wants to bite them, but he doesn't...

There's also this first year boy who has some difficulty in class and clearly doesn't want to be there. But get him outside class and he's a different boy altogether. He'll wander into the staffroom and start randomly hugging teachers. Now Japan is not a huggy nation (me and my friend were talking about how we felt hug deprived just the other day)- but the teachers seem to be used to his sneak hug attacks. You should see his face while he bear hugs them too- he closes his eyes and smiles like he really needed that hug. It's kind of sweet to watch.

There's this first year girl who is always really happy to see me. She has a very quiet voice so she'll stand very close to me and we'll talk- or at least attempt to as she doesn't know much English and I am not going to be winning any awards for my Japanese speaking ability anytime soon... on the opposite end of the scale there is this really loud second year girl who just likes to yell at me "SING!" whenever she sees me. It's kind of painful on the ears..

My second year boys also have to get a mention. The ones who call themselves 'dirty boy' and like to ask me if I am erotic...Yes, you read that right- I can barely get them to string a whole sentence together but they know the word 'erotic'.

These are just a few of the characters who make my day at work everyday. Yes, I'll bitch and moan about being underused in the classroom, and I couldn't be happier that the summer holidays begin on Friday, but still, the kids are alright...


Some art by my students- check out the slightly disturbing image...


My third year girls at our Culture Festival




Me with my friend Eric's new baby Emily. I've been broody since the day I first learned that it was girls who had the babies- this doesn't help...


I want one! Well four actually- it's just the ripping, tearing, bleeding and pain bit that puts me off- maybe I'll adopt...