Boys Will Be Boys

Next week marks the start of final exams for the second trimester at my school. Don’t ask me why, because there’s still an entire month to go until the trimester actually ends. This means that most of my lessons this week are cancelled in an effort to finish the boring grammar points in the book that were skipped over when the kids were ‘having fun’ with me.

I have been keeping myself busy by teaching at my local kindergartens, and replying to my junior high school student’s notebooks. I gave my each of my 3rd grade students a notebook, in which they are supposed to write to me as often as they like, and then I reply back. Usually the entries follow among the same lines, concerned with studies and crucial high school entrance exams. However, sometimes they can be quite interesting indeed.

This is an excerpt from one of my students who visited Australia last year.

“When I went to Australia, I saw all Australian boy is good. They have tall nose, bule eyes, blonde hair and very tall! There aren’t boys like Australian boys in Japan.

When I was sitting, he bring juice to me. When I rode a car and get off a car, he open the door for me. When I was walking, he moved on road side. I was in princess mood. I want Japanese boys to learn after the example of Australian boys.”

Could it have been possible that she went back in time and met me as a 14 year old?

The Lonely Sardine

I’m sure you’ve all seen the images of Japan’s crowded subways during rush hour. People are pressed up against each other by professional ‘sardine packers’ until the train can hold no more. I too have had the pleasure of experiencing this on a number of occasions.

Thankfully, it’s not always like that. Quite often only a few people are left standing on the train or there are even some empty seats.

I rode the train to Ueno last night to celebrate the six month anniversary between my girlfriend and I (well, I didn’t ride the train to mark the occasion. I rode the train to get to the restaurant in Ueno, where we celebrated). I sat down next to a harmless looking older lady and made sure that there was more than ample room for a person to take the remaining seat on the carriage, next to me.

People continued to board the train, but no one would sit down. This went on for four more stops. Was there something in particular that was wrong with me? I’m sure even the guy in the other carriage, with the urine stained pants and a claw for a hand had someone next to him.

The fact is, most often than not, the seat next to me is the last one to be filled. This doesn’t really bother me. It’s nice to have a little extra legroom, and I can almost understand no one wanting to sit next to a 20-something foreigner (I’ve met my fair share of morons in Japan who fall into that category). However, it is pleasing to note that when someone does eventually sit next to me, it’s often a person from a younger generation whom seems to be more used to our kind (blonde hair, high nose). I can picture a future where a line of sardines, of all different colours are sitting in a row, riding the train and avoiding eye contact with all the other commuters in blissful harmony.

Just What The World Needs - Another Blog

Hello, and welcome to Void if Removed. After following the advise from a couple of good friends, I decided to join the blog revolution and start my own… umm, blog.

There are a couple of reasons for me doing this. The main reason is that I need to start writing again.

I’ve spent the previous three years living in Japan. Most of you know that Japan is a country in which English is not a native language. Although I am happy to be gradually progressing my Japanese language skills as the time goes on, it is a little concerning that my English skills tend to be heading in the opposite direction. If you also take into account the fact that American English is taught in Japanese schools, and I am a teacher in a Japanese school, then… well, whichever way you look at it, it all adds up to a decline in my English.

I remember a time when I had a strong passion for writing, but since leaving my homeland, I’ve either not had the time, or have had other things on my mind to do anything about it. This is an opportunity for me to brush up on my English skills, and rediscover my passion for writing.

I don’t really expect many people to read these messages that will be posted here. For now, I’ll just tell my friends and family members about the site. Perhaps it will provide a little more information about my life in Japan, and why the hell am I still here. I’m notoriously bad when it comes to getting in touch with everyone back in Australia (and around the world), so hopefully this will make up for it a little. Feel free to drop me a message and tell me what you think of the blog.

I’m planning on updating this as often as I can. That probably means there’s going to almost daily updates during the first week or so of operation, then gradually declining as I lose interest, to the eventual posting of ‘still here, still doing the same job, check back in a month’. But who knows, maybe I’ll even stick with it this time?

Please bear with me and I’ll try to make this thing look a little prettier. But for now, thanks for coming. Have a Nice Day! ^_^