Go me...

[gnine]

So, in my continuing effort to appease my mother keep people up-to-date about my life and such, I have a semi-amusing anecdote from work today.

So, I was subbing a class of four nine-and-ten year olds, and this week's lesson concerned Amazon Rainforest animals (don't ask me, I just teach the lessons, god knows who comes up with them). Anyway, one of the many random animal names I was attempting to convey was Tapir, and the picture on the flash card of said creature was rather adorable...and also looked very sad and forlorn.

So one of the boys grabs up the card and, in Japanese (these kids were sweet but just would not stop using Japanese, which we supposedly frown upon at ECC but seeing as these kids were also very quick at picking up all the English of the lesson, I wasn't objecting too too much) and he was like, "poor thing, it's looking for its mom. Kaa-chan (mommie), kaa-cahn?!" Trying very hard not to giggle, I tell him that if he's gonna be goofy, he should at the very least do so in English. So then he starts going "Mommie, mommie." All well and good, the other three students and I get a good chuckle.

Then the very next flashcard is of a Toucan, but since that is only one letter off from touchan (the word for father in Japanese) one of my other students momentarily miss-read it. So then the boy mentioned above decides that the Tapir was in fact looking for his father...and is confused. He grabs up both the Toucan and Tapir flash card and motions the Tapir chasing after the Toucan going "Tou-chan, tou-chan" in this very adorable, sad little voice and the Toucan going "eh?" all confused like and well, it took a few minutes to get the class back under control. And, every time either of those two animals came up in the lesson, they were off in another fit of giggles. Later, the same boy was sketching the animals and did this great caricature of a Tapir going "Mommie, daddie?!" and the Toucan going "geh?!". Kids amuse me.

In other news, guess which not-so-ambiguously gay duo was being very...well, NOT ambiguous in this week's most recent manga chapter. If you guessed BanGin, you're a winner!! Oh, the sparkly, intense looks, the saving each other's asses, the "So don't cry any more, Ban-chan". Just...yeah. My love for those two in all their dorky glory is undying.

Also, in other other news, my love for Babylon 5 is also clearly undying. Mmm, no matter how many times I rewatch it (and that number is getting to be quite high these days) I continue to love it. Diana, one of my housemates, had watched season's one and two awhile before I arrived in Japan and thus since arriving here, I've been watching 3rd and 4th with her. Which are my favorite seasons anyways, so no objections there. We're nearing the end of season four, just watched No Surrender, No Retreat tonight. Ahh, the utter kick-assedness. "...but not on the same page." Oh G'kar, how I adore you. Okay, enough fan girl squeeing for now...

Comments

[firesign10.livejournal.com]

Cute anecdote!! And once they have the giggles, it's all over... :-)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Eee, too cute. I wouldn't mind teaching kids if it were like that all the time ^_^

And too cute again to the BanGin...you're gonna have to give me fuller details on that one...

and B5, ahhh...(dammit, I wanted to rewatch it with you, been too long since I've seen it myself! :P)

now back to packing...

[gnine.livejournal.com]

...sooo, don't suppose there's any chance of squeezing a bit of writing in between all that packing, is there? ^_-

*huggles* Good luck with the packing! And you'll be here soon enough to see all the wonderful GB yourself, hazaaah!

[stitcher2ficcer.livejournal.com]

So, in my continuing effort to appease my mother...

Grrrr....

So the appeasement process has begun. But hardly anyone on your newsletter list--particularly among extended family and family friends--sees this LJ. You know I won't be satisfied until you email a lengthy newsletter out to folks. With pictures, even. **smiles angelically encouragingly**

Love you. Looking forward to seeing what you have to say about your life and the responses you get to it. :-)

[ainbthen.livejournal.com]

Hee! That's really cute! Kids can be so very cute sometimes. I'm glad you're having fun! It's fun to hear how things are going, I'm so jealous!

*snuggles*

[utopiantrunks.livejournal.com]

Awww! I wish my classes could be like that. ^_^ Seeeeee, you should share more work stories!

[sara-tanaquil.livejournal.com]

... are they seriously gonna need "Tapir" and "Toucan" in their everyday English lives? *I* don't even know what a "Tapir" is.

Ah, I know, any excuse to get them chatting in the target language.

I should rewatch my B5 episodes sometime... I do have all the DVDs sitting on my shelf.

"If you value your lives, be elsewhere" is still the best line in the whole series. ^_^

[ex-naye320.livejournal.com]

Awwww, so cuuuute! The little Japanese kids, they are adorable and I want to cuddle them. Yesterday me and Shayera were beset by a flock of these little ones supposed to "practice their English" on foreigners found in Teramachi. Not doing so well with the English, poor things, but they were really curious and shy at the same time, and in the end the braver ones posed with us for pictures! ♥ So, so adorable!

[lebateleur.livejournal.com]

Ah, the wonders of the lesson English v. useful English divide. I've taught a bunch of 3rd graders professions like astronaut. Veterinarian. Beautician. Aesthetician.

Unfortunately, I think your kids just trumped mine in the cuteness department.