A Picture I took on my way home from school with my camera phone. School is about a 15 minute walk from the house.
A picture I took in the Kiso Valley - Just west of Komagane over the mountains
So I'm sure you're asking lots of questions right now. Like stephen can you speak japanese now? No, definitely not. I study a couple of hours a day, but I feel like an r-tard speaking Japanese. I definitely have the fundementals down like how to order a beer and how to apologize, but don't ask me to get into a discussion with anyone. I've been trying to speak Japanese to people, but most of the time I get blank looks of confusion. I like to think they are so stunned by my attractiveness they don't know how to respond...actually I'm probably just babbling like an idiot and said something super offensive.
You're probably asking what is your house like? I will post pictures of my house later. It is like a diamond in the rough. Sure it looks crappy, no AC or heat, no insulation, leaking roof, mold on the ceiling, screens are busted, and I have 2 lovely broken cars in my yard, but it really is nice. However, I do have an extra bedroom and lots of futons and blankets if anyone ever needs a place to stay. My door is always open...literally I don't even lock it anymore.
Friends in the Kiso Valley
School? Yes. I teach at 2 high schools! I know I'm a freakin high school teacher. One is called an academic the other is called a technical or in the states we would call it a vocational high school.
It's a pretty sweet gig. The kids are pretty awesome. They do crazy things like Kancho! So my first experience at the technical school was filled with great confusion.
I was in the gym for the school assembly when I saw a teenage boy put his hands together in the shape of a gun he then ran up behind another student and proceeded to ram his fingers up into the other students butthole. KANCHO! I was perplexed. So I asked one of the Japanese teachers about it and she just shrugged and was like "they do that a lot."
Then yesterday I was in class and the kids were throwing paper at this boy. I thought at first they were being mean, but the meaness dissappeared when the throwing the paper fight turned into a giant tickle fight among 4 of the boys in the room. Again - not used to this. I was later helping another student with his worksheet when he looked at me and told me I had a pretty face. Ummm....thanks?, I said. As he said this the student behind him just got out of his chair and started scratching his back. Wow. talk about being completely different from U.S. high school. I can't even imagine the beating I would get if I tried to have a tickle fight with the other boys in class.
Well, now that I have this internet thing and kind of a camera I'll try to be more consistent with some bloggage.
Peace. One Love.
Stephen
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