Cutting my thumb....

This happened two weeks ago but forgot to upload it to my blog.
What an ordeal! So I woke up to a lovely Saturday morning, got on the train and went to another part of Sapporo. This was to find a school that had a Cooking workshop where the students would teach us how to cook a Japanese meal, practicing their English. I was excited and love to cook, so this was going to be a fun experience. Well, I get put into a group, and we start gathering our ingredients. I get to cut the dried squid up for a dish we are making. Into really small pieces and I was doing a really good job of it. They were impressed. I got to the end of the dried squid I was cutting, and this is where my pride came before the fall. I was doing a good job and was really confident in my cutting skills, when my stupid left thumb decided to get in the way at a very wrong moment. Yup, I cut my thumb. It was not a little cut and neither was it a really big cut that would determine that I needed to go to the hospital. But it definitely started to bleed a lot. I go to the supervisor and tell him that I got cut and that I don't react well to big cuts, as I have low iron and makes me weak when I get cut. So they sat me down and started to clean the cut. That's when things started getting hazy. It became really hard to breath, and I started seeing spots and the room was getting darker. I was trying really hard to not faint. I felt sick to my stomach and that it was really hard to breath was really freaking me out and so I kept saying "Kowaii" (scary) because I did not know whether the ladies helping me spoke English and I did not know what else to say. They said that I went sheet white. I was determined not to faint. I could have let myself faint but I found that to be scarier. I like to see the light at all times. So I looked out the window and breathed really hard to make myself stay awake. Thinking in my head that this is really frightening me, because I have never felt so awful or reacted so bad to cuts or anything. I did not know why I was reacting as bad as that. I have cut myself by a knife while cooking once before and I did feel weak, and get really pale, and had to get fresh air but the breathing and feeling like I really was going to faint had never happened, so I did not think that I would react as bad as I did. I am glad to have learned that I am a determined person when I get myself to be, because I managed to not faint. They grabbed a 2 liter Oolong Cha (tea) to give me some liquid and got me a piece of cake. After drinking a glass of the cold Oolong Cha I started getting more color to my face and I could stand up and walk a few steps to wash my hands. By the end of the recovery, I drank more then a liter of tea. That means many trips to the bathroom. It sure helped to drink that tea though. Even when I do not really like that tea. I think I might like it now. So I had to sit out for the rest of the cooking workshop and miss learning how to cook a certain kind of Japanese meal my group was making. I got to eat the food though and it was good! I am just glad I was okay even though for a moment it felt really bad.

Job Update: Love it!

I think it is time for an update. Why? Maybe because I have gone through two weeks of teaching....and LOVE IT! It is a great feeling to wake up and go do something that you love. Despite the early morning. You would be shocked to know that this night owl (me) is now going to sleep at 10:30 and waking up at 6:30. I thought it would never be possible, but I proved myself wrong. Accomplishment! Also a new thing: I dress up every day (except the weekends)! It is weird having to look really dressy in a suit every day. I might be able to gradually get the suit jacket off, and just be in a nice blouse and pants/skirt. I am in such a different school system then in America or international schools. It's a new world to me, but I am enjoying it.

The students all stay in one classroom, and it is the teachers that jump from one classroom to the next. Each class has a homeroom teacher. The teacher's desks are all in the same room, including the Vice principle. The desks are right next to eachother, 5 to 6 desks to a group. I have my own desk as well! It's great. The teachers next to me do not speak English so that is a bit of a bummer, but am near one of the English teachers. It is usually really quiet in the teacher's room, but sometimes people have conversations. I understand some words, but feel so lost many times. I have been understanding more of the language, and sometimes I can tell that the teacher's are talking about me and I think they think I do not understand, but I can get a good jist of what they are saying. I think it is positive the way the conversation was going and sounding. (I hope it was positive) I am really wanting to speak more Japanese, but just like the students, am really scared to speak. But if I want them to speak English, I must force myself to join the scary world of diving into a language, mistakes and all. Kowaii!

The kids are great and I am enjoying working with them. I hope that they are enjoying the class, as well as learning. There are so many students, and I am wondering how I am going to memorize all their names. I memorized one class, and today I shocked them by going around and telling them all their names. They were shocked, and clapped and were going on and on. Saying, "Sugoi! Eh? Sugoi!...etc". (Wow). Now for the other 15 classes.....515 students......I want to stay with this school all year, but in the fall I have to move to elementary schools all over sapporo. I will like being with the Elementary students, but I am really liking my school and have great teachers to work with and awesome students! I hope they like me. Maybe they will request me for next year! That would be great!

I get to ride my bicycle to school everyday! I love my new mode of transportation. I get exercise and get somewhere at the same time!! :) I have to enjoy biking while I can before it snows again. But I am told till November I can bike so that is good. Then for 5-6 months I will be off a bike, and using buses, trains and walking in the freezing weather. I can do this!!!! I am going to toughen up! Yesterday was actually a warm day!!!! I finally got to bike in a T shirt! I biked to a park called Lily Park, and saw the garden of tulips. It was so beautiful! I have a lot of pictures of flowers. I might put up some pictures of them. Flowers in Sapporo are amazing!! There are so many flowers. Every house, green spot seems to be filled with flowers of all kinds. And such vibrant colors. We really celebrate spring, because it is such a long winter here. Maybe its the snow that makes the flowers look so healthy and happy, but whatever it is, its beautiful. But there are not so many Sakura trees here, and so have seen sporadic blossoms. Also for some weird reason, the leaves come first, and then the blossoms. In some cases. Weird. But anyways, spring is here, despite the still chilly weather. At least there is no more snow to be seen, except on the mountains. Which is fine. Makes the mountains look so beautiful.

Well I think that was a good update. I hope you enjoyed and got a glimpse into my life here. Later I will expand on my teaching itself. I have to really work my creative juices sometimes to figure a fun but learning activity for the kids. Hope to hear your comments if you have some!

The Time Has Come to Teach....

The time has come. I am about to embark on my new job. I have gotten training and have had a month and a half break, and now it is back to the grindstone. How am I feeling about this new job? At the current moment, I am feeling nervous and a bit frightened. The school system here is so vastly different from the western world and I am going to be a part of it now. This is going to be a very different experience but I am excited. More excited about getting the hang of it and understanding how the school runs and my role in the school. Right now I will be very new, clueless and trying to learn the ropes. I do not like that feeling but I know that I won't be like this the whole time. I just have to get through the first week. I just have this feeling of wishing I could already be at the "I got this" stage, knowing the ropes, knowing that I can teach English well, and knowing more of their language.

I have been learning some kanji now. I have learned five so far....I have so much more to go. But I learned the Kanji for sun (hi) 日, Year (toshi) 年, Round/Circle (Maru)円 (it is also yen), Big/Great (oo) 大, Country (kuni)国! :) I am hoping that being in the schools will help me learn the language as well, being amongst the students and teachers.

I got my bicycle!! It is so nice to be able to get places with it! I love this mode of transportation. The other day I was biking to the subway station and was thinking "Wow I am really here in Japan. Not visiting. I am staying here, I have a bike and a job here." I guess it just hit me. Or hit me again. There is just moments where you realize that you really aren't where you were a month ago. Life is different from my life back in America, and I have to embrace it and learn all I can from this time that God has for me here. How is this experience going to affect my life? We shall see.

I know it has been awhile since I have written on my blog. I have had a great month with my parents and meeting new friends. I have been able to hang out with new friends, get to know the city a little more, relax and settle into my current room (until I find my own apartment).