"E" is for Elementary School

Some of my most heart warming moments in Japan have happened at elementary schools. I visit 6 elementary schools, most of which are out in the countryside. Two of them are literally in the mountains so far away it takes like an hour and a half to get to them. Schools in the mountains have some unique qualities. For one, they tend to have very few students (22 kids in the entire school!). Another thing I like about them is that I have never experienced so much NATURE as when I have gone out to these schools. Once I was running up the mountain path to the playground can nearly stepped on a snake that was sunning itself. The kids were like "no big deal" so I forgot about it...but later when I was describing the snake to the teachers, they were horrified and told me that it was a poisonous viper! Whoa. The last time I saw a snake like that, I was safely on the other side of the glass in the STL Zoo.

Every time that I even think for a moment that I am tired of being an ALT, the little ones at elementary school make everything worth it again. Their smiling faces, their adorable little voices, and their determination to tell me everything about their lives despite our language barrier warm my heart every time. Plus, they are just so darn funny sometimes. I laugh all the time in class! My teacher sisters and cousins can understand this perfectly, I think. They ask such funny questions, too: "Ella sensei, what is the best way to get the center of a tornado?" and "How long does it take you to get to Japan from America every morning?"

I wish you could all meet each and every one of these cuties.

"D" is for Dorayaki.

Mmmmmm dorayaki......what can be better than two pancakes sandwiching sweet red bean paste? Seriously, so good I could eat it everyday. I have loved almost every single type of dorayaki that has crossed my path. Red beans, white beans, with a chestnut in the middle, with purin in the middle, I LIKE THEM ALL. Come visit me here, and I will take you to get some dorayaki. Actually, I might just bring some to the airport with me when I pick you up. ;)

In Japan, there is a famous cartoon character called Doraemon. He is a blue robot cat whose ears were nibbled off by mice. He is also quite magical and handy in a tight spot because he has this pocket in his tummy that can produce basically anything. Doraemon is absolutely crazy for dorayaki. I feel that this Doraemon and I could be friends...Notice the similarities between this picture of him and the one of me.

"C" is for Commuting

Yes, "C" is for Commuting, which is a big part of my work day. As you all know, I must ride my bike everyday--an activity which initially convinced me I would die an early death. My bike and I have had rocky relationship. I started off scared of it, then I got used to it, then I hated it in the winter, then I liked it again in the spring, now I'm annoyed with it because the chain and gears are all rusted and the sound of it grinding hurts my ears and freaks me out. There are so many great things about riding a bike. For example, it's eco friendly. It's fast. It's easy and it never runs out of gas!

There are bad points, too. My bike basket is only so big, so I can't do too much grocery shopping at one time. Also, the streets here are very narrow and often do not have sidewalks. The absolute worst part, though, is biking in any weather but sunshine. I hate biking in snow, rain, typhoon winds, or even when it is just way too hot outside. Too often have I been caught in the rain. Here is a picture of exactly that: Jamie and I were biking home when all of a sudden the heavens opened up on us. We took cover under and awning and waited it out. Jamie kindly snapped a shot of me looking like a hot mess. Please notice the rain droplets on my glasses:

Another part of commuting is riding the train. Most of my schools are out in the countryside and I must take a train to reach most of them. I enjoy riding the trains most of the time. My longest train ride is a whopping 45 minutes, and as it's early in the morning, I often find myself nodding off. Some of my funniest moments as a foreigner in Japan come from riding the train. Sometimes, when I board a train full of students (not even my students, but high schoolers!), they take one look at me and whip out their English homework. Not even joking. They never ask me for help or anything, but they often glance over to see if I notice them studying English. Or they will suddenly start using random English words to see if they can get my attention. Sorry, kids, your shouting of the words "I have a pencil" is not going to entice any conversation out of me. :)