 |
 |
OK, so you're probably wondering where we've been lately, what we've been up to, and why the heck we haven't updated this thing!!! Well, lately we've been hanging around Utsunomiya a lot, getting back into the swing of things here. It's been raining like crazy lately, but finally today is sunny and about 70 degrees. The leaves haven't really started to change yet, but many of the japanese people around me are talking about how beautiful it will soon be.
I know it's not very japanese-ey, but lately we've been watching season 1 of NYBD Blue on DVD. I'd never seen one before, and now I'm officially hooked. I'm also in the middle of reading Caramelo by Cisneros. I usually LOVE her work, but right now I'm struggling through this book. I think that I built it up in my head, and now that I've finally got it, it's only "so-so".
I'm still busy teaching at my Jr. High school Monday through Thursday, and at the Elementary schools on Fridays. I love, love, love teaching at the elementary, and I like working at the jr. high. At all of my schools, the teachers are wonderful characters. One of my favorite teachers calls her husband "the bird-man," because he likes to watch birds. Yesterday I asked her how her bird man is doing, and she asked me how my "animation authority" is doing!
I'm also teaching a few classes at night. I meet with a young American girl twice a week. She is definitely full of beans. I won't say much else. Her family is moving back to the U.S. next year, and we're getting her ready to go into the 3rd grade. It's so interesting to hear her speak english, but process out loud in japanese. I also meet with 2 japanese "career women," once a week. Neither of them wants to get married because they like their jobs and they believe that a japanese man will marry them, get them pregnant and then make them quit their jobs. Last night they told me about giddy choko. Giddy choko is something that all women are supposed to give their male bosses and co-workers on Valentine's Day. The women get nothing in return, but it's an expectation. Nice, huh? So, they call it giddy choko...my interpretation of it is bad chocolate that you're given because it's expected. They told me to never say "here's some giddy choko for you." Apparently that's rude.
Recently I brought my rollerblades to Japan, and I've been riding down near the Kinugawa river. It's absolutely beautiful. Usually I don't see anyone that I know, and most people look at me kind of suspiciously because rollerblades are not very common. Well a few weeks ago I saw two boys ahead of me smoking. No big deal, except that they were my students and they were REALLY afraid that I would tell on them. When they saw me, they biked away as fast as they could! After I few minutes I heard them say hello, so I stopped and talked to them for a while. They were so nervous looking that I tried to assure them that their smoking was a secret that I wouldn't tell. Well they told me that they were definitely not smoking, but instead they were eating chocolate. "Julie, chocorate in Japan is berry croudy."
Alright, I need to get back to work. One last update is that I bought a pair of black leg warmers last night. They look so cute with my jean skirt. I wonder if I'll cut my bangs and start spiking them again?
.: posted by Zander Cannon 3:03 PM Tokyo Time
|
|
|
 |
Julie
is an American ALT in Utsunomiya,
Japan, teaching middle school and
elementary school English.
Zander is an American cartoonist currently working for
DC Comics.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
 |
1.Best
if viewed with a modern browser.
2.Do not use Netscape before version 6
3.Set your color mode to True Color 32 bit.
4.Links with an 
have a pop-up window.
5.All material ©2003 Zander and Julie Cannon.
Unless otherwise noted.
6.Made with a Mac
and PC. |
|
|
|
|
