Yesterday, at the end of Japanese class, Himalaya-sensei slid a sheet of paper across the folding table. I narrowed my eyes at it but it didn’t help me read it any faster. “Last year … class … one year ….” I mumbled, passing my fingertips over the text. Himalaya-sensei came to the rescue; it was […]
The Acquisition of Language
Coming of Age Day
Last night, I went down to the 1st floor of my building to visit Sean, who I found sprawled on his bed next to a large open box of decadent Swiss chocolates. Before he noticed me lingering at his door, his face was a mixture of beatific contentment and chocolate lust. “What?” he asked. “They […]
Cards and Coal
Classes are winding down this week before the winter break starts. We make Christmas cookies out of construction paper and stickers; snowflakes for the windows, and cranberry chains that result in pricked fingers. I inform the adult students that chocolate “Christmas cake” is a Japanese invention and that Westerners wouldn’t even dream of eating KFC […]
Frog Yoga
Like many little girls with generous, well-intentioned parents, I was sent to dance classes. Though I’m sure they were thrilled to see me prancing around in the spangly, sequined costumes of the 80s, even Underwater Saffron Snorting would have been a better fit; my coordination, grace, and desire were absolutely nonexistent. All of my unfortunate […]
La la la la
A student asked me: “When do you reave to New York?” “Watch my mouth,” I said for the fifth time that lesson. “La la la la la,” – taking extra care to visibly flick my tongue between my teeth. “La la la. Leave.” “Ra ra ra ra.” said my student. “Watch me. La la la.” […]
Coins
There is a hole in the left pocket of my black slacks and today several coins fell through it while I was teaching 7 year-olds. The children pounced, but I was faster. “Misette*!!” they demanded. *Show it! I offered a quick flash of a few 100 yen coins. “Ehhhhh!!!” they screeched. “Japanese money!!” cried Mia […]
“Supa Kawaii” Means “Super Cute” in Japanese
Having second thoughts now about my somewhat recent decision to get hip to Japanese fashion, when my experiments result in the unfortunate pairing of ruffled smock-top dresses with turtlenecks or the wearing of slightly blousy sweaters adorned by bows. If it sounds cute, it’s not – at least not on a non-Japanese woman over the […]
Spaz-tistics
Stats taken during the 4-kyuu exam, as collected during sweeping surveys of room 404: 3 test segments 104 questions 40 test takers 17 Caucasians 4 annoying college girls who giggled and bragged about answers they got right in between exam segments 13 moments of panic 6 moments of insecurity 30 potential test-taking minutes wasted by […]
Chomsky Revisited
I should be studying for tomorrow’s big test, but I am not. My sheafs of grammar and exercises would be cold to the touch, if I actually unhuddled myself from my frozen ball and touched them. It is warm to be hunched in front of the computer, the screen emitting a soft, comforting glow and […]
Gobble Gobble
Despite having moved around a lot during my 27 years, I can count the times I have been homesick on 2 fingers; once, at age 9, when I went to sleep-away camp in Lake Tsala Apopka, Florida and again at age 24, when car wreck injuries kept me in Guatemala for 3 months. Both times, […]