The first week

My first week of the new (and last) school term ended on a 5-classes Sunday. Today I had yet another 5 class day. To all other ALTs constantly complaining about having nothing to do at the beginning of the school year, I've got a few 7 alphabet exclamations for you all.

- The first week did not start off so well. When I came to school I found that my desk has not been moved, but I was now sitting with a whole new group of teachers. This requires some explaining: when I first got to Japan, I was assigned to the group of 1st year teachers and we all sat together. My 2nd year, I stayed with the same group of 1st year teachers who all became 2nd year teachers together. This year I'm no longer with the same group of 3 teachers (excluding myself) moving into their 3rd year.

It's hard not to feel ostracized and left behind like a kid repeating the same grade, even if I could completely disregard and not let myself be bothered by what this might mean, given the Japanese social emphasis on the in/out group dynamic. Arrgh! To let myself be bothered even a tiny bit by Japanese social innuendo, I must be turning Japanese*--only my co-workers apparently don't really think so.

(oh my god the crazy Noguchi woman just came in the staff room. Please don't come any closer don't come any closer don't come any closer....)

Anyway, I don't mind that so much now that I've grown accustomed to my new place in the staff room after one week. I'm sitting next to Mitsushima this year, and the 2nd year students with whom I will be spending more time this year are much more enthusiastic about English than the 3rd year kids.

- The video letters I have spent so much time editing were finally done last Friday. I would post them on YouTube, but I'd probably get in trouble in a society where student uniform fetish is as commonplace as raw fish roe. Too bad.

- I got another crop of ballers for my lunchtime league out of the new 3rd year students this year. I see no superstars out of this year's group, and frankly some kids should have really stayed in school for another year instead of declaring for the draft. Though this year's group is not as talented as last year's class, plenty of them should be able to contribute at the next level as solid role players. The future of the league is bright.



* I meant the phrase "turning Japanese" by it's literal meaning--and not as an euphemism for excessive masturbation, as originally insinuated in The Vapors' one hit wonder.