(no longer) LOST IN JAPAN

O-hisashiburi desu ne

I know, I know... I haven't posted in over a week... I've been busy...
Enough excuses and on to the good stuff. I did nothing last week except study so no good stuff there. Don't believe me but I swear it's true. I took another practice test too and I got a 71% again... leaving me quite certain that I would pass the JLPT with a 71% because keigo sucks. So I studied keigo when ever I had the chance... I was repeating moshimasu, mairimasu, osharimasu, itadakimasu over and over on the train, while I biked to school, between classes... I HATE KEIGO!!! I had 3 different Japanese people explain keigo to me and still it wouldn't stick in my head...
Last Friday, Anne-Line (ex-Nara CIR and resident French Amazon) came to visit. We had dinner and drinks and then I went home to study. Saturday morning, I studied with Kimiyo. Saturday afternoon I helped my Japanese teacher teach 3 eikaiwa classes... After that, I studied with her too. Then I went home and studied more but after about an hour my brain gave up and I went to bed.

Sunday morning, I was up at 5:45 to catch the first train to Kyoto. The sun hadn't even risen yet. It was cold and rainy. Just the way you want test day to start. YAY! The JLPT was taking place at Kyoto University and the test voucher tells you to come early as public transportation may be unreliable. I learned on the last National holiday that Kyoto buses, although cheap, suck. The train and subway are way better. Being a commuter from Montreal, you'd think that I'd know that already but apparently not. Anyway, we (my other friends taking the sankyuu) got to campus an hour before the test was supposed to start. It was strange taking a test in a university. It was like being in law school all over again. And did I mention that it was cold and rainy?
The test went OK, I guess. I probably passed although I won't know for sure until February. I found it harder overall than the 2 practice tests I did but there were only 2 keigo questions so I was doing a lot less guessing in the grammar part. The listening section, which had been my saving grace on the practice tests, was HARD. And I was really upset because I had been counting on that to get me through and boost my confidence before the grammar section. No such luck. Go figure.
After the test, my friends and I went to celebrate with a few drinks and THREE HOURS of karaoke. It was awesome! Hadn't been to karaoke in 2 months. That's almost sacrilegious in this country.

Monday was the Oji listening test. Tuesday was a day off, so I spent the day at the Moritanis. I got to decorate a Christmas tree!!!!!!!!!!! I was ecstatic when Kimiyo suggested that I come over and help them decorate the tree. If there's anything that I miss about home, it's Christmas time with my family. Christmas is my favorite time of year (despite it being in winter). Listening to Christmas music, putting up the creche, putting the decorations on the trees and watching my mom move them all again because it's not perfectly placed. The house is so pretty and everything looks happy and cheerful. And the holiday food... oh, how I miss it... My mouth is watering just thinking about it. There are plenty of decorations here in Japan but it just doesn't seem to have the same meaning. I guess I understand what people are talking about when they say Christmas is too commercialized... It was never like that in my house but I see it now... and it is kind of sad.

I've been at elementary school since yesterday. Yesterday I was teaching fruits and vegetables to the second graders. I started off the class by singing "Where is Thumbkin?" and finished it by teaching "the Hokey Pokey". Three elementary school classes is as demanding as teaching a week's worth of OC classes in high school... BUT I LOVE IT. Today, I taught animals and fruits to the first graders. I also sang "Head and Shoulders" about a million times. I have so much fun teaching elementary school. I always come out of there exhausted but it's one of the only times that I really feel like I'm making a difference. It is worth every bit of the broken back, the sore legs and the lost voice.

Tomorrow, I'm at elementary school again. Tonight however, I have a pile of papers sitting beside me that need correcting. I had to go pick up test papers and take the work home with me since I'm not at Kashiba again until next Wednesday. Which means that today's post is long enough. Gotta get some real work done before bed tonight. Fun times. As usual.

posted by Samantha @ 4:43 AM