Self-intros, finished! Welcomes, maybe done.

Trip Start Jul 26, 2008

Trip End Aug 06, 2009

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Flag of Japan Tome, Japan
Saturday, September 6, 2008

Yesterday I visited my third and last elementary school. They use an interactive computer program to teach English so I basically just had to help out and be subject to the interrogation squad. This was where obsession #4-Japanese boybands (collectively known as Johnny's, the name of their management company)-came in real handy. I think I've won over all the girls in 4th-6th grade because they love Arashi. They dug the fact that my favorite member is Matsumoto Jun, a.k.a. Matsujun, a.k.a. Donmyouji Tsukasa of Hana Yori Dango. The teachers called the 3rd graders "monster children", but they weren't bad. I haven't experienced any of the molesting we were warned about though my personal bubble gets invaded sometimes. After playing recess, I got invited to their folk music class. They had a professional folk singer/shamisen player and a Japanese flute player come to teach. That was cool.

I wonder if my feet grew overnight because my elementary school indoor shoes, which fit snugly, are now too small

1 - note

. Today, at elementary school #1, I ate lunch with the other 6th grade class. Afterward, the girls sat me down for an interview (yes, an interview). I finished up my self-intro with the ginormous 3rd grade class and the 5th graders. It appears that everybody in Japan knows Fullmetal Alchemist because the teachers recognize it too. Of course they all know Hayao Miyazaki, and I get asked if I've seen his latest film, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.

In the afternoon, the junior high school ALTs got together at Lucy's house to make prize boards for the speech contestants. After that, we went to the Tome International Friendship Association's welcome party. I finally met the last of the new JETs, a guy from Canada named Matt. I also got to see the high school ALTs, who came through Interac, again (we briefly met at karaoke). Yohei and Miyuki were there too. Near the end of the party, we did a little karaoke. They didn't have the newer songs, and I thought I was familiar with Koda Kumi's "1000 no Kotoba". Apparently not.

Since I mentioned that I wanted to get involved in the Toyoma fall festival, Dr. Takahashi let me join his community. Each section of the town is building a float and hosting drum and flute practice

2 - wonton soup

. Last night, I went to a dinner, where I met yakitori guy again. I really need to work on learning names, or everybody is going to have a funny nickname. I'm just as terrible with recognizing faces because I only remembered who he was when he explained to somebody why we knew each other. He was one of the yakitori vendors at the Natsu Matsuri.

For whatever reason, I wound up being called "Jenni". Why do I always get stuck with that nickname? Usually my name gets pronounced "Je-ni-faa", but many people struggle with the last syllable. They don't seem to like "Jen" very much either (I think it's the "n" that makes it weird). Oh well, I answer to anything.

Glossary (I'm going to see if this works better.)
shamisen - Japanese guitar; look up "Yoshida Brothers"
yakitori - "fried bird", roasted chicken on a skewer

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