ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

My family has always travelled a lot in the summer. Sometimes we go and visit family in California and Utah. Other times we go to different countries, like Spain and China. Last summer we were in England. It was one of the coolest and greenest places that I have ever visited for summer, which was a welcome respite. Arizona, my home, is brown and scorched in high summer. Anyway, now that summer is laying heavily on Japan, I keep finding myself thinking about "abroad." Since I now live abroad, does any vacation count as a foreign one? Is this somehow one long vacation from my life in America?

I'm not sure, but I do miss my family and I'm longing for an unfamiliar horizon. I can't wait to get out and about during Obon!  

Last weekend, I went to Sangawa beach in Shikokuchuo! It was blisteringly hot, so the cool water felt amazing. There was a barge off the shore that you could swim to and sit on. My friend told me that they are common on Japanese beaches, but I have never seen one before, in Japan or America. It felt nice to stretch out on the wood and watch the horizon, and the kids playing the in the water around us. Later, I went and read my book in the beach chair, letting the water dry off my skin and sinking my toes into the sand. There's nothing quite like a beach during the summer. I'm so glad that I got out to the water!  

Last weekend, I went to a festival at the Niihama Marine Park! We were really lucky, because it only rained once, and briefly, while we were there. There was a lot of great music; I even got to hear the Japanese version of How Far I'll Go from Moana. We also watched a lovely performance by some Hula dancers, and we got to see our friends perform Yasakoi. I'd heard a lot about Yakakoi, but I had never seen it before. The music was really fast-paced and exciting, and the dancing was great. I'm so glad that I got to see it and cheer on my friends!  

A couple of weeks ago, I gave a speech all in Japanese in front of a whole bunch of people. It made me really nervous, because I get pretty bad stage fright. "Stage fright" is a common phrase that means that you're scared of getting up and speaking in front of other people. I never have a problem in the classroom, but I get it bad when it comes to presentations and performances. My heart was racing, and my hands were shaking! (This was why I really hated piano recitals when I was young. I couldn't stop my hands from shaking when I was trying to play.) But my friends and my teacher said that I did well and everything was fine. That was a huge relief! I'm glad that I did it, because it's important to challenge yourself once in a while, and I learned a whole lot of Japanese for the contest. But I think it will be a while before I volunteer for another big presentation!  

One of my favorite experiences at Gem School has been learning about how to teach children. I had only taught adults before I came to Gem, so teaching so many children was really eye-opening. I've learned a lot about what sorts of things children respond to, and how to get them to retain language. I also get to be silly in the classroom and make the kids laugh, which has been a great experience. I've learned so much here, and I'm glad that I came.  

This is my American School class! These students are all really energetic, so it can get a bit crazy sometimes, but we have a lot of fun! I like teaching this class because it gives us a chance to be really creative and try all sorts of different games and activities.

  

This is a class that I teach on Wednesday. They are making very silly faces in this picture, but they are so fun to teach! They're a class that I always like to try new things with, because they are always up for trying something different and challenging.
  

This class has some of my youngest students who have already learned their alphabet and are learning to read. I'm so impressed by how clever and hardworking they are! Not to mention how cute!
  

This is my Thursday Level 5 class (or most of it anyway. Our lovely and talented Sophia is missing, unfortunately.) I enjoy teaching for many different reasons, but with these kids it is a special pleasure. Not only are they hardworking and smart, but they always seem to have fun no matter what we are doing. It doesn't matter if the material for that day is very difficult or very easy for them. Every class is a wonderful mixture of fun and laughter and a genuine desire to learn and understand. I'm so happy that I get to teach them!  

These are my students from last semester at Kanbai Preschool! I love teaching that class, because the larger class size means that I get to think of new and interesting ways to teach from the Gem books. The students from both this semester and last semester are energetic, smart, and creative. A real joy to teach! I was really touched when last semester's class made these pictures for me. The little portraits are so cute, and I will always have the memories! It made me very happy.  

We’re on the cusp of summer now, and I’m really enjoying the warm weather! It feels so good to be outside! I know that it will be hot soon, so I plan on being out and about as much as possible before then. There’s just one problem: the bugs! I think that last summer the Japanese bugs didn’t recognize me as food yet, so they left me alone. They are now making up for lost time! After the Summer BBQ and a picnic in Marugame last weekend, I ended up with eight huge bug bites. They feel better today, but the last couple of days have been uncomfortable. I also wonder what kind of bug bit me. I know that they were probably mosquitos, but in America my mosquito bites didn’t swell to the size of pennies! Maybe I’m reacting differently because it’s a different type of mosquito? Oh well. I’m willing to suffer some itchiness in order to explore the beautiful Japanese countryside.  

When I was in Kyoto, I loved seeing all of the shrines and temples, but I also had a great time shopping! I really enjoy Japanese-style art. I love the graceful lines and the common imagery, such as foxes, cranes, rabbits, koi, mountains, and flowers. I bought some wonderful pieces in the shops in Kyoto. I love them all, but my favorite is probably the picture of a woman in a blue kimono watching two children play by a fountain. It’s nighttime, and the woman holds a small container of fireflies in her hands. In the background, bamboo was rendered in silver paint to give the impression of moonlight on the leaves. It’s intricate and beautifully done, and I’m so happy that I found it!   

I had such a wonderful time during Golden Week! I went to see a lot of places, but my favorite was probably Fushimi Inari-taisha. The torii were beautiful, the hike was fantastic, and there were so many cute fox statues! We also went early in the morning, so there weren’t a lot of people there yet, lending the place a very peaceful atmosphere. It was such an amazing place!

  

Within the next week or so, some new books from authors that I really enjoy are going to be released! In fact, A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas and The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan are both coming out on May 2. I’m really excited, but also a bit bummed because I’m going to be too busy during Golden Week to get to read much. On one hand—vacation! On the other hand—books! What’s a booklover to do? Oh well, at least I will have plenty to do when I get back.  

I'm so excited for Golden Week! My parents are coming to Japan, and we are going to Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto! Later, we will come back to Shikoku and do some sightseeing here, plus a short trip to Miyajima. We have been working on this trip for months, and I'm so happy that it is finally happening! I also can't wait to see my parents. I visited them over Christmas, but this will be their first chance to see Japan. I can't wait to show them all of the wonderful things here!  

Last Sunday, I went out to eat at an Italian restaurant with some friends. The food was good, and quite interesting, because Japanese-Italian food is very different from American-Italian. For instance, one of the main differences is the sauce. Japanese pasta doesn’t seem to come with a great deal of sauce, while the American version is usually absolutely smothered in it. There was also a difference in how the meat was prepared. In America, if a pasta dish comes with meat, the meat with be cut into small pieces and distributed through the dish. In the pasta dish that I had at this restaurant, at least, the sausage was still in a long roll and placed on top of the pasta.
The last key difference was the garlic bread. There are many different kinds of garlic bread in America, but the bread is usually sliced lengthwise, with a thick layer of butter, garlic, and herbs placed on the inside of the bread. The Japanese version was very dry and crunchy; the garlic taste was incorporated into the bread rather than placed on top of it. It was a strange, but very interesting change!
Overall, I think I still like the American-Italian food that I grew up with better. But the Japanese version was tasty and a lot of fun to try!