Dumps
...written on 02.09.03, @ 11:53 p.m.
Sun February 9, 2003
So what could be taking me so long to update on my trip? I have been busy training the new teachers and preparing for our round of free demonstration lessons to try and get new students for the new school year starting in March. Great, another month or two of breaking in little 3-6 year olds.
I had a free class today where the father brought in two children, a 5 year old girl and a 4 year old boy. The girl didn't enter the classroom at all and the boy squealed bloody murder into his father's chest. The two other children were a 4 year old hyper boy and a very quiet and shy three year old girl.
I did most of the beginning activities with the hyper boy as noone else wanted to participate. I have learned not to push in this regard, so while I didn't ignore anyone, I didn't push for participation.
I read "The Hungry Caterpillar", concentrating more on the colors, rather than the fruits, as that was the goal. Then we played ring around the rosey with the color cards and I snagged the shy three year old girl to come play with us. I saw the other girl standing on a couch outside trying to peer into the class. Her brother was still face-in to his dad's armpit.
I used two puppets in the course of the 20 minute free lesson. One was "Leon the Lemur" and the other was an as of yet unnamed dragon. The kids were supposed to feed the appropriate colored fruit to the dragon.
When I got to the end where I introduced the coloring part, I went out to the girl on the sofa and asked her if she wanted to color. Oh yeah! I had put the crayons and paper on the table for her, but then I told her to come on in and sit down with us. She happily followed. As the kids were coloring, Eiko was selling the parents on signing up.
When the kids finished coloring, (I had even coaxed Armpit boy to color) I brought out Leon and they gave him fruits and foam balls to play with. The shy little girl jumped up and down snorting with laughter.
I was told later that the man was impressed by my patient diligence,and signed his two kids up. Both were waving goodbye as they left. A good sign.
Anyway, I was told I didn't have another class and I was looking forward to going home because I have felt like SHIT for the past week. I've been really sick with what I thought was a head cold, but seven solid days of nastiness? I was informed that I would have one student to teach in the next hour. I got it over with though and slowly walked out to my bike.
I got home, curled up under the warm covers and slept for a few hours. Got up and took my temperature. 38.7 C or about 102 F. I prepared lots of ice water to drink, a bucket of cool water for sponging myself off, a roll of toilet paper for the endless nose drip, chapstick since I have to breathe through my mouth and the video remote. Most of Japanese tv is so damn noisy! I hate it! High pitched squeals or gutteral yelling just aren't relaxing for me. I found a documentary and settled down with that for a while.
I knew I would need some kind of food for tomorrow morning so I forced myself to go to the bakery at the train station for some bread for toast. Being vertical did a lot of good for my stuffiness, so when I got back I rigged my bedding to prop myself up.
All of my preparations have worked to bring my temperature back to normal. Now to just get rid of the snot factory!
So I hope to feel sufficiently better in the next two days to finish posting part II of the Oshogatsu trip. Oyasuminasai!