Sick Irony

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25

I don't move as fast now that the weather's gotten colder. I used to accomplish so much more in the mornings. Now all I can do is huddle. The fact that I still wasn't feeling well, despite my nap the day before and gong to bed early didn't bode well. I could only hope for the best as I headed out the door.

At Kogyo, we were doing sickness again. Oh, the irony. As someone later pointed out, at least my “acting” would be good. Aimee asked about my guy friend (Lonn), and I was happy to see that she was using the vocabulary we discussed on the way to class last week: “What do you call a friend who is male that you're not dating?” I am fully functional on Kogyo's copiers and it makes me happy.

In class, the students laughed especially hard when I imitated throwing up. After class, Sheila told me that this is because in Japan, when they mime it, it's a very small gesture and mine was quite big and dramatic (and, actually, just the American Sign Language word for the concept.) They also find my ambulance imitation delightful, although the timing was beautiful in the last class when I was discussing ambulances and out the window, we could hear one passing by.

In one class, we had a small tangent and discussed playing “hookey” and how it's not the same as “playing hockey.” We also take a not-so-small tangent when discussing fever to mention that the United States uses Fahrenheit. The students just stare, flabbergasted, as I delightfully explain that water freezes at 32, boils at 212, and that this summer it was 100 degrees. I kind of want to do a lesson about Standard measurements: inches, miles, Fahrenheit, Letter-sized paper, gallons, etc. Everything I need to adjust for.

As luck would have it, although I had no luck Friday on an activity and didn't get any brainstorms over the weekend, a lesson somehow fell into place as I worked at school. I'd wanted to do something with the steps in how to carve a pumpkin, but found NOTHING (not even pictures) online that would work. So, I got cracking and made my own. They're not lovely, by any means, but they will certainly do the trick and could be much worse.

I also put together a small sheet with Halloween vocabulary (“Pumpkin,” “Jack-o-lantern,” “candy,” haunted house,” etc.) I also made an accompanying worksheet with pictures of Mickey Mouse (stolen shamelessly (for education! For the children!) from Google Images.) of Micky in various Halloween costumes. I did have to draw him in a mummy costume, but otherwise, I had an incredible number of Mickeys. For this worksheet, students will apply the vocabulary they just learned by writing the name of what Mickey is dressed as on the blank next to each picture. Simple.

I left at 5:15 and traveled home under the darkening skies. I couldn't find my bike key, and eventually realised that in my rush to get to school (and my bike almost falling over after I climbed off it, with HaPpy (my laptop) in the basket) I had forgotten to take my key and thus, left my bike unlocked and subject to theft and abuse. Luckily the boys didn't do anything and I rode away.

I didn't have much time before my kimono lessons. In class, I'd thought we were doing a lecture today, but we weren't. Really, I just do what they tell me, and show up when they tell me, and (attempt to) bring what they tell me, and hand them however much cash they ask for. Kimono lessons ain't cheap. Today we practiced putting our kimono on twice, then tied a pretty obi used only for furisode (a bright, colorful kimono with long, long sweeping sleeves worn by young, unmarried women. I think I'm actually the only one in the class who's actually able to technically wear this obi. I was delighted by the knot and shyly asked my partner to take my picture. She not only consented but took three so I'd have the best ones to send home. This is (not my picture) but an example of the knot that I learned to tie today: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/2803118653_5ecbb92f4b_z.jpg.

Olivia had made me learn suki (like) recently, and I used that structure all night. There was another kimono class on the other side of the divider (a highly advanced one, taught by my sensei's sensei (sensei no sensei.) Most had not met me, but as I packed up in good time today, I was by the door at the same time. They were mostly older women who delighted in my foreignness and clapped delightedly when I stumbled out a sentence in Japanese about liking kimono. I felt like an adored pet. I'm quite pampered.

One of my classmates, the one who looks like she's sixteen, brought her son to class today. He was quite well behaved, coloring in the back with one of the apprentice kimono instructors and even once coming forward and sitting quietly to watch with the rest of us. At the end of class, he was eventually coaxed to approach me and instructed to say “hello!” which he did quite eagerly in response to me, before throwing out an elaborate string of Japanese that makes me realize how BAD my own actually is. His mother eventually coaxed him into “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” which I did along with him to the applause of our classmates.

As we were walking out, I told his mother that I liked his green hat, with a ribbon. She dug around in her phone for a while and eventually I understood that it was his preschool/kindergarten uniform.

I finished off the spicy peanut sauce and tofu for dinner. Not bad. I must remember, though, that I'm out of peanut cream. I then also had my chocolate torte for dinner (feeling too nauseous to have it on Sunday evening.) The chocolate part was quite tasty, but I think they can improve the crust. I wasn't bad – I certainly ate it – but it didn't ENHANSE the overall effect. It just sort of... existed. I felt odd eating gold.