Adventures in Japan: Week 22: The search for a decent title

SO! This week wasn't actually very exciting.

Lots of work, of course.

Along with a lot of working to get better.

So, no after work adventures, not really.

On the bright side, I feel much better now! Yay!

Anyhow! CUTE thing was happening in my Wed/Thurs school! This school has a year's worth of lesson plans already written out, so I just kinda...embellish them sometimes. Anyhow, so the school seems to LOVE "Brown bear, brown bear, what can you see?" By Eric Carle. I mean, the kids have the sucker almost memorized by grade 3. So, 4th grade (to whom I read it earlier) made their OWN versions! Each kid picked an animal, drew/painted it some crazy color and they had their own version of a page!

So! THEN, it got exciting, because they were in groups of 4-5, and during recess, they went to the 1-3rd grade classrooms and PRESENTED their books to the kids!

First they introduced themselves (In English) and then they said what they liked, and then they recited their book! (remember, I don't work with this grade!)

yellow monkey

blue cat

pink bird

purple dolphin

And they presented it as if they were reading the book "yellow monkey, yellow monkey, what do you see? I see a blue cat looking at me." And it was SO GOOD! Their pronunciation was so good and I was just so impressed! Then they asked the 1-3rd graders questions about the presentation to see if they were paying attention! I was just standing in the back of each classroom, grinning my head off, because it was SO COOL.

One girl picked "pink squirrel" and I'm like "bless you child, you just chose the hardest animal for a Japanese person to pronounce."

So, contracts are up soon, so I kinda told them I'd like to transfer up North. I hear it's really pretty, there's more weather than cold/hot/rainy. (they have SNOW) and less...city. BUT, I like it here too! Well, mostly I like the people. I've made friends, the schools are cool, and I know where things are. And there are so many fun festivals!

Anyhow, they gave me a call, so I contacted them (after panicking and running all the possible negative things I might have done through my head) and it turns out my schools REALLY want me back. Like... REALLY. And can I PLEASE stay, because lots of contracts are closing in this area and they want me to stay.

I asked for a raise.

I haven't heard back yet, and I'll probably stay anyhow, there's still so much to SEE and DO and it costs a blamed fortune to move. (one I don't have) I never realized how stressful asking for a raise could be though. I'm also applying for other international schools, because why not?

And it was nice to be told they like me and want me around.

Anyhow! Back to the week!

Friday it rained and rained and RAINED. I mean like, all day. It was steady. Sometimes it got harder and sometimes softer, but CONSTANT. The one bright side of this was this awesome scene I saw.

and really tried to capture on camera

Of an entire group of students being escorted somewhere, so it was just this...LONG line of umbrellas walking along. I thought it was cute. And yes. EVERY CHILD in Japan owns an umbrella. Because it would be dumb not to.

Saturday I heard it was going to rain, so a friend from Church and I went to the Osaka aquarium! It didn't rain, but we still went.

Before we went in though, there was an acrobat guy!

he was GOOD

And it was really fun watching him because I could, more or less, still understand what was going on.

he's eating a candy with chopsticks with the other hand.

Anyhow, then we went into the aquarium! It was pretty awesome!

there were fish!

They had lots of animals like

otters

puffer fish

penguins (and baby emperor!)

waterfall crabs

whatever THIS ugly monster was...

Their biggest tank was the "Pacific tank" and for starters, it was over 3 stories deep. I know this because the walkway circled around it and had 3 levels of viewing all underwater.

This thing was awesome, because it held the REAL attraction here

The WHALE SHARK

IT WAS SO COOL! And there were other animals of course, and they kept coming right next to the windows!

I love Rays

shark!

there was a column of silver fish too.

HI!

And there was a diver inside, vacuuming the gravel, and he was dressed as an oni!

demon pants!

Oni are translated as demon or ogre as the occasion demands.

There were jellyfish, which I just LOVE

they're so PRETTY

And there was a petting area! (not of the jellyfish)

I petted a RAY! AND a shark!

They felt so COOL! The shark was all rough and the ray was smooth and I loved it! :D

We had dinner and still had some time, so she took me to the "Osaka Sky Garden" which is the biggest tower in Osaka. Built to basically BE the biggest tower in Osaka. Though I'm pretty sure there are offices in there too.