Comments on: JET Program Reflections #8–Ceremony http://larsmartinson.com/jet-program-reflections-8%e2%80%93ceremony/ Updated Every Friday. Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:28:05 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lars Martinson http://larsmartinson.com/jet-program-reflections-8%e2%80%93ceremony/comment-page-1/#comment-6627 Lars Martinson Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:14:10 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/jet-program-reflections-8%e2%80%93ceremony/#comment-6627 It sounds like you have classes with your kids pretty often, which must be cool. I had 1800 students total, so never really got to know them personally, except for at the one school with only five kids. So that was too bad, but on the plus side I could make one lesson and use it for a month straight. I'm a grumpy old bastard, but re-reading that Haruka note always gets me. Aw... Lars It sounds like you have classes with your kids pretty often, which must be cool. I had 1800 students total, so never really got to know them personally, except for at the one school with only five kids. So that was too bad, but on the plus side I could make one lesson and use it for a month straight.

I’m a grumpy old bastard, but re-reading that Haruka note always gets me. Aw…

Lars

]]> By: Michael Sammler http://larsmartinson.com/jet-program-reflections-8%e2%80%93ceremony/comment-page-1/#comment-6623 Michael Sammler Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:49:16 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/jet-program-reflections-8%e2%80%93ceremony/#comment-6623 Well, I guess I could be the first to comment, at the possible expense of someone calling me a Christmas cake. Really though, the 9 year old named Haruka is what really keeps me going as an ALT here in Japan. Actually my Haruka's name is Haruka and she is now going into the fifth grade. Although I never noticed she was in my weekly class for the first month or so, she did stand out in the local tennis club I joined, where she attempted some kind of double dutch jump rope thing off the stage in between tennis matches where she couldn't concentrate long enough to hit the ball. Once i realized she was the one sleeping in my English class, she showed her appreciation by giving me presents every week. Although it seemed pretty obvious to me she just wanted a friend, she did give me a ring made out of a shinny bread tie. I asked the teacher if I should be worried and she said she would testify for me if her parents took me to court. The kids now have taught me to ride the unicycle, the names of many Japanese dishes, where my desk is, how to use the camera on my cell phone, how to play park baseball near my house, brought me band aids when they found out the hard way I don't know how to catch, and looked the other way when I pulled up a snow marker that no one knows how to put back down. I constantly ask my fellow teachers if they want to do something, like hiking or a movie, but every weekend the kids stop by my house to say hi and ask me to play ball. Secretly, i think they somehow run this country. Michael Well, I guess I could be the first to comment, at the possible expense of someone calling me a Christmas cake.
Really though, the 9 year old named Haruka is what really keeps me going as an ALT here in Japan. Actually my Haruka’s name is Haruka and she is now going into the fifth grade. Although I never noticed she was in my weekly class for the first month or so, she did stand out in the local tennis club I joined, where she attempted some kind of double dutch jump rope thing off the stage in between tennis matches where she couldn’t concentrate long enough to hit the ball. Once i realized she was the one sleeping in my English class, she showed her appreciation by giving me presents every week. Although it seemed pretty obvious to me she just wanted a friend, she did give me a ring made out of a shinny bread tie. I asked the teacher if I should be worried and she said she would testify for me if her parents took me to court.
The kids now have taught me to ride the unicycle, the names of many Japanese dishes, where my desk is, how to use the camera on my cell phone, how to play park baseball near my house, brought me band aids when they found out the hard way I don’t know how to catch, and looked the other way when I pulled up a snow marker that no one knows how to put back down.
I constantly ask my fellow teachers if they want to do something, like hiking or a movie, but every weekend the kids stop by my house to say hi and ask me to play ball. Secretly, i think they somehow run this country.
Michael

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