The fundamental rule of teaching

I think I have figured out the fundamental rule of teaching. Know your students. There's millions of other ingredients, but if you don't have that, it won't all come together correctly, and you won't know how to put it all together correctly. It'll be a mess instead. That always resurfaces in every class I teach when I think about how it could have gone better. I learn something knew about my students every time. Did I just spell new "knew." Yes I did. Hey, my English is getting worse, but at least my Japanese is getting better. Another funny thing, anytime I try to speak Hindi to my parents or in the recent call I had to India, Japanese comes out. It's hilarious, even simple Hindi words, I think I'm saying Hindi but it's all these simple Japanese words that I use to communicate here. It's because whenever my mind thinks "foreign language time," it thinks of Japanese only. Haha it's funny to me but my Dad's a little dissapointed. It is a little weird if I become fluent in Japanese before Hindi. Don't worry, I'll always be more Indian and American for that matter, no matter what language I learn.

Shut Down

So, I've liked this girl for a while, not knowing what to do and all, and it's been kind of back and forth (I know, I'm still a 15 year old when it ocmes to relationships, as my brother so kindly reminded me). By back and forth I mean that I know I like her, but I get so scared as happens when you really like somebody, and sometimes I'm just downright mean to her, cuz I don't know how to show somebody I like them. So, mixed messages? Probably. She has been giving some mixed messages too, but - oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, she's Japanese - so there's that complication. I don't know, maybe to Japanese people her messages was clear, but to me - I dunno. Japanese people have such a formality to conversation, and they are quiet in the teacher's room - oh yeah, more necessary information, she's a teacher at the shogakko - a new teacher, my age. I don't know how to talk sometimes while I'm in these teacher rooms, when I can be myself and and when I should be more aware of Japanese customs, but I'm learning - I guess this is just intercultural communication problems, something anybody would deal with. Anyways, to make a long story short, I finally got the courage to ask her out today. Where did I get that courage? One of my eikaiwa students told me - "dame de motto motto," which means it doesn't hurt to try. So rather than keep on driving myself insane trying to figure out if it was ok to make the move, I finally made the move. There's legitimate reasons she said no, legitimate reasons besides the simple "I don't like you," which I will refuse to believe cuz that just sucks. She's leaving for Tokyo in March. I was very surprised, but hey, I still made the move right. Gotta follow your heart at all times. She also has her test for elementary certificate next month. So she has to study. Aaah well, all this is better then hanging in the balance and just not knowing.

So, Mom, there's hope for you yet, maybe I will meet an Indian girl!! Not much luck here...

Aaah, shut down, I'll be crying myself to sleep tonight. Don't worry, I'm fine, I just like/need to write about what's going on. It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right, I hope you had the time of your life....

Aaron's Trip and Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year everybody!

So, my friend Aaron came for a couple weeks, and is currently on his plane back to New York. At least I hope so, because I left him in Tokyo earlier today and just kind of hoped he could find his way to the bus terminal. The word for his time spent here is...refreshing. Very refreshing. I like having my friends around, and realized how much I miss it. Aaah man, normal talk, normal comraderie, normal companionship - o.k, sorry, that last one is a little too much, but I miss my family and friends. I even miss my Dad and his grunting complaining about life. Now that's incredible. It's the one thing that I don't like about being in Japan, the fact that I'm here by myself. And though I have friends here, when they are of a different culture and wear that different cultural hat, I really am still by myself. It has nothing to do with them, there are some of the kindest people I have ever met here. It has everything to do with me.

You see, I must admit, I did come here to "find myself." It wasn't the only reason but it was a reason. You'd figure I would be beyond that stage by now, but I wasn't. And it's true, even if I don't like my American culture sometimes, or I don't like American people, (I still don't actually, in fact I probably like Japanese people, especially in my town, much more), I can't change the fact that I am sooooo American. Even if I intellectually don't agree with things, culturally, I am who I am, and who I am is clothed in American culture. What I find funny, how I talk to people, and a million other subtleties, it's all ingrained in those early years, maybe between 8 and 15, and I don't know how much more can change after that, no matter how imaginative you are.

Sooo, how much longer do I want to spend here? I think one more year is good, because it will give me ample time to figure out what I'm going to be doing once I get back, to achieve other goals I had in coming here, and to make more of an impact here that I can feel fulfilled with. I have done stuff here, like a Christmas event at the elementary and junior high school, but even that was something that they asked me to continue from the previous year. I still haven't planned anything major or made as much of an impact as I know I am capable of.

Lessee, the trip around Japan was awesome. Read Aaron's blog, I'm sure he will write all about it, www.aaronsong.com. We started off in Agematsu, then went to Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, back to Ise-shima, and then Tokyo and Mt. Fuji. I think I must have seen at least 3 million Japanese people. They weren't joking when they said that New Years is the busiest time for Japan. It was just ridiculous sometimes, there was no escape, people were everywhere. I liked Kyoto the best, just because it has some shrines that really fit the label of "epic," which became our criteria for what we wanted to see. But more on the travels later, it's late and after three days in a capsule hotel my bed is calling. This trip showed me a lot of things I won't get into here, but one of which is how important it is to get out of my town and travel. Travel is such a growing experience, it really forced me to get out of my comfort zone and learn about myself. Of course it is best with a friend, so Mykella, do it with a friend!! In my opinion, it is so much more rewarding that way.

Thanks to Koji, Steve and Sharon for adding to the rewardingness.

Much love.