A lesson on pierced ears…

Last Tuesday there was a demonstration at school for the science teacher.  Demonstrations are like classroom observations.  Sometimes it’s just one person from the BOE observing, sometimes it’s just the teachers at the school observing, and sometimes it’s a whole group of people from the BOE IN ADDITION to all of the teachers at school.  I hate demonstrations.  I hate watching them, and I (even worse) hate having to perform one.  (I have one next Monday.  ) 

I digress—here’s the thing about demonstrations.  Since all of the teachers are in the same room watching one teacher’s lesson, what happens to all of the other students at the JHS?  ……they continue to have class!    Whatever class they were scheduled to have, they have it.  For example, if they were scheduled to have math class, the math teacher gathers together work for them complete and leaves them alone to do it.  Here’s the crazy thing…..THEY ACTUALLY DO IT!!  Imagine how well that would work in the States!!  Spoiler alert:   IT WOULDN’T!  A) Teachers are NOT allowed to leave students alone in class, and B) students would sooooooooooooooooooo not work for the entire period.  They’d see it as goof off time and play around instead!  Say it’s not true!  In Japan, I’m sure that there were a few class clowns or sleepers in those classes, but you better believe that they did indeed do the work they were assigned!!

The demonstration was conducted completely in Japanese—duh.  I didn’t know exactly what it was about, but I knew it was some science experiment.  Halfway through the demonstration, the guy from the BOE came over to me and asked where I was from (in Japanese).  I responded (in Japanese).  He then tried to continue a conversation with me but soon realized that I had NO idea what he was saying.  He then switched to English, saying  "What do you use for this experiment in America?”  and then wrote down on the paper the name of the chemical being used: pulmeric acid.   A few things were wrong with this conversation.   A) Even though it was in English, I have no idea what pulmeric acid is or what it does.  B) I only had a vague idea what the experiment was about.  C)  Even if I could understand the Japanese and follow along with the demonstration, I doubt I would be able to tell this guy what we use in the States.  I hate math and science.  Therefore, what did I do?  I said, “The same.  Pulmeric acid.”  He nodded and wrote something down.  Hopefully this will not come back to haunt me. 

I ate lunch that day with my first graders at the JHS.  I have a love/hate relationship with that class.  Sometimes they’re awesome, and sometimes I want to run from that class screaming.  That day was a good day.  I was playing with my earring, and I noticed one of the kids staring.  I asked him if he liked my earring.  He said yes.  Then I took out my earring and pretended to pierce his own.    He backed up soooooooooo far away from me that I thought he was going to fall out of his chair!  I told the kids that I got my ears pierced when I was six, and they DID NOT believe me.  Their minds were blown.  (In Japan, students aren’t allowed to wear jewelry to school.  The EARLIEST a kid can get his or her ears pierced is after high school when he or she is eighteen.)  They turned to their homeroom teacher and said something like:

Students: “Melissa-sensei said that she got her ears pierced when she was six in America.  That’s not true, is it?”

Teacher: “Um, yeah.  If that’s what Melissa-sensei says, then yeah.”

Students: “EEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH?????”

Me:   

That afternoon after school, I went to the grocery.  I’m not sure if it was national “Smile and Wave at the Foreigner Day” or what, but it seemed like everyone and their mother was smiling and waving at me.  It was sweet and nice…and always makes me feel welcome in town.  However, I’ve been here for over a year, and I’m still amazed at the amount of people and students who are surprised to see me at the super market shopping, riding my bike through town, or whatever.  Yo, guys….I live here, too!!  

It’s almost lunch time here, so I’ll end here and try to churn out another blog this afternoon so that I can get caught up.  I hate being in this perpetual state of catching up!!