So, yesterday was spent being a total slug. It felt so good, although I didn't get some stuff that I wanted to accomplished. For example, I haven't made the worksheet for 5th and 6th years first Numbers lesson. I haven't cleaned my kitchen, not to mention the dishes (I'm gonna do it tonight. I need to, and I can't eat dinner until I do because I have no bowls left. Good incentive). I didn't write. I didn't eat my book.
Instead, I talked on the phone with people All Morning, which was nice. I watched Hana Kimi All Afternoon, which was funny, and I really enjoyed the similarities and the differences from the manga, although I can't remember some of the details, and I can't just go over to my bookshelf and reread them because they're in America and I'm totally not. I also watched a movie called Idiocracy, which was scary (because that totally could happen) and good (because that totally could happen) and funny (because stupid is funny) and totally made me want to have tons and tons of babies. Because my IQ is higher than that. I know. I was tested. I recommend watching it. And, to top the evening off, I read for a bit, then talked to people again.
I also got an email from some guy at nowpublic.com saying that they want to use my photos from Typhoon Wipha (all three of them), but in order to do so, I need to create an account with their site, which is sketchy, so I don't think I will. But it's nice to know that random people have used the search function and found my photos. Even if they are totally not good.
Going back to school today felt like I hadn't been teaching in 2 weeks, not just 5 days. I felt unused to it. But I think it went okay. It's really interesting which classes can do which activities. Some of my 5th years did my Family Bingo no problem, but this class couldn't really do it well, and there was a TON of talking. It's really funny, but I have trouble thinking on how to fix this problem. Like, it seemed like this class could have done the activity if there were fewer of them, but other classes, that were bigger, did it fine with little coaxing. And its difficult to realize which class will or won't be able to do an activity before hand, because it doesn't seem to depend on anything consistent. For example, I thought my word search would totally be over the heads of my 6th years today, and they did amazing. 6 of them finished the whole thing in the 15 minutes I gave them. It was awesome. (And I asked, and yes, they do do that kind of thing in Japanese too, so they knew what I was talking about.) And I only realized 1/2 way though exactly how hard it really was, because the automatic generator I found on the web made the clues in lower case and the puzzle in upper case, which really made them think. (I think I liked that though, so I'm gonna keep it, next time I might write the alphabet on the board though).
So, after all that, today went pretty well. The 2nd Family lesson for 3rd and 4th grade works really well and is my favorite to teach. 3rd grade runs around the room screaming, I mean we play 4 corners (which should really be a vocabulary introduction game) and Bongo (which should really be an vocabulary introduction game). And then 4th grade really runs around the room screaming, I mean, we play Family Janken (the kids play rock paper sissors, then the winner asks "Who is it?" and the looser answers "My X" whatever card they have in their hand. They have to find all 4 of the same cards. Really good game.) and then after a few rounds we do writting practice, because I'm trying to get that in with the 4th and upper years. Just some practice, so that they'll know how to form the letters and what sounds they make. So that they'll be better able in middle and high school. Nothing too taxing, just a worksheet here and there. A few letters phonics practice at the beginning of the lesson. In the 2nd lesson, they learn the sounds for A-E, and have to read Cab, Bad, and Dad. Easy, quick, then we move on.
Now, I'm sitting at home. Pretending I don't have to call some hostels and try to bargain with them in Japanese that my flight comes in at 10pm to Tokyo and please won't they stay open late for me? I have decided however, that I will not (absolutely not!) be staying in a capsule hotel. There are some Japanese style ones cheaper, and the rooms are bigger than 2 meters by 1 meter. I would get claustrophobic. I didn't enjoy my last stint in the MRI machine, and I can think of nothing better that the capsule hotels remind me of. It's just a matter of figuring out which of the 10 that I found for the right price are in an area that I need and will stay open late enough that I can check into without a problem. Mostly I need easy access from Haneda Airport and Tokyo Station (that's where I'm catching the bullet train to Murakami, unless 'other' plans work out). At least I can crash on Curi's tatami when I get there. Too bad Maru-ne can't come the same weekend. But either way, it should be fun. We're talking about us going to see Marnie during that holiday in January, and them coming here that holiday in February. Should be fun times. I need to figure out what they're gonna do while there here though. It's a pretty small island. Maybe we'll take that Make Your Own Shisa class. That would be niffy. See how much I'm not calling them?
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