As an ALT there are a few set English phrases that I am required to say about one million times a day, every single day. For example, every single class, in every school, starts like this:
Ella: Good morning! Hello! How are you?
Students: Fine thanks, and you? (or if I'm in elementary school they say if they are hungry/sleepy/whatever)
Ella: Oh, I'm fine, thanks! So...what is the date today?
Students: .......
Ella: Okay, well, what day of the week is it? Saturday? Sunday?
One good student who likes English: It's Wednesday.
Ella: Great! It's Wednesday. And what month is it now?
Students: ........
Ella: Well, last month is was May....
One good student and his loud-mouth friend: It's June!
Ella: Right! It's June. June what? 1st? 10th?
Students who have previously remained silent but who can count in English: It's the 22nd!!!
Ella: That's right!! Today is Wednesday, June 22nd. Aaaand how is the weather today? (I always gesture to the window at this point)
Finally, all the students respond: IT'S SUNNY!
(Unfortunately, many of them say this, even when it is pouring down rain outside...)
The elementary school kids are great, and they respond to every single question I ask, but the Junior high kids are so shy sometimes. It's like pulling teeth just to get them to say 'good morning!' For some reason, though, they always respond to how the weather is. Which, by the way, has been horrible lately.
This time of the year in Japan is rainy season. We were rained on every single day last week. My hair was frizzy, my face was shiny, and my socks were almost never dry. So rough. Even when I wear my rain coat, I manage to arrive at school looking like a hot mess, with my hair plastered to my face and my clothes dripping. I don't even bother putting mascara on these days....can you imagine how black streaks running down my face might add to my look-what-the-cat-dragged-in image? On top of the incessant rain is the HEAT. It is so so so humid right now. I feel like everything is constantly a little damp. I have finally put together a little 'summer survival kit' that I keep in my purse. It contains deodorant, Sea Breeze (which is a fast evaporating powdery water concoction that smells good and cools us off), and wipes. I also carry a handkerchief for mopping up sweat! Ew. I think it is safe to say that while the winter was a little brutal, I cannot wait for summer to cool down a little......pretty sure that won't happen until September but I am already anticipating the day when I don't have to reapply deodorant halfway through.
Some great things about summer are the iced teas, the flowers, the sunshine. The summer also holds a different meaning for us JETs because it marks the end and beginning of another JET Year. Everyone who is leaving JET to return to their home countries will be leaving at the end of July/early August. Firstly, I would like to mention that it absolutely does not seem possible that I have been in Japan for almost an entire year. Secondly, I am very sad that basically all my closest friends here in Japan are leaving this year. I don't want them to leave, and I cannot imagine Fukuoka without them. Jamie and Chris in my office are both leaving, so 2 new JETs are coming in to replace them. I am looking forward to meeting them, but mostly I am sad to say goodbye to my friends. I am also a little nervous about being the senior one, the one to show them around and stuff. I feel like there is so much still that I don't know, so how much help can I really be to them? We'll see. For now, I plan to get the most out of the summer and spend as much time as I can with my friends before they go! I think I see more beach visits in my future.... :)
