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Taught a first year class today and we do a flashcard review thing with vocab every chapter. So the monitor is showing these words really slowly to give the kids time to think and it’s all normal until we get to,

Monitor: 薬

Student: POTION!

The whole class is confused and looks at him. 

Student: Potion!

The JTE repeats, “Potion?”

Student: … Potion?

The awkwardness is killer and I ask the boy if he plays video games. He says yes and I’m like, “Well, a potion is game medicine so you’re close! Potion is magic medicine!” And I try to explain in Japanese because my JTE is very ??? at this leap in topics. I’m like… Hmmm video game no kusuri? Mahou no kusuri?

The class finally understands. Potion.

The boy looks at me like, YEAAAH THANKS FOR HAVING MY BACK.

Later in class, they have to make a skit about going to the doctor’s office and giving symptoms/treatment. He and his partner do,

A-san, “Excuse me.” B-san, “Yes?” A-san, “I have POISON!” B-san, “Oh no.” A-san, “I need A MAGIC MEDICINE and A REST” B-san, “Here is MAGIC MEDICINE. Take a rest.” A-san, “Thank you”

They turned the skit into a JRPG.

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Update on that Dakota Pipeline controversy. 

A federal judge ruled that the federal permits authorizing the pipeline to cross the Missouri River just upstream of the Standing Rock reservation, which were hastily issued by the Trump administration just days after the inauguration, violated the law in certain critical respects.

In a 91-page decision, Judge James Boasberg wrote, “the Court agrees that [the Corps] did not adequately consider the impacts of an oil spill on fishing rights, hunting rights, or environmental justice, or the degree to which the pipeline’s effects are likely to be highly controversial.” The Court did not determine whether pipeline operations should be shut off and has requested additional briefing on the subject and a status conference next week.

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Y'all…….

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it will never end

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Rainy Season my Ass

Rainy Season my Ass

It rained a little this morning, just enough to ensure that the ground became damp and the colors enriched with the fresh layer of moisture. That still doesn’t mean it isn’t summer. Teachers have been adamant that the rainy season isn’t over. But they just are lying to themselves. They claim that this silly little lie is true because the weather man has not told them otherwise. I would like to…

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Dear Newbies 2017

If your pred is mean/difficult/unresponsive: If you can’t talk to your Regional Representatives/Block Leaders: If you have no connections in your prefecture yet: If you’re feeling crappy/culture-shocky:

My ask box is always open and always has Anonymous options turned on, and I’m not gonna judge you. If you chat me through the message feature on Tumblr, I’m gonna respond to you.

If you’re in a situation where you don’t feel right, or good, it is okay. That happens sometimes. And if for some reason you’ve found my blog and you’re lookin’ for a little sympathy, it’s more than okay to reach out.

I mean it’s ALSO really okay to message me to gush about how happy you are, how excited you are, about the good things happening. But I know sometimes the tough things are the ones we have trouble discussing. So y’know. Whatever you wanna do!

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bon odori was great! but... i was there for eight hours ;;

i ended up getting a little wasted which, when wearing geta and a camera man is in your sweaty ugly face, is probs not a great idea

i was smiling tho, so thats something??

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Summer Vacation

July 29th – August 3rd, August 5th: Tokyo! August 4th: Gunma! August 6th-7th: Saitama! August 8th: Chiba! August 9th-11th: Kanagawa!

If you’re around and free hit me up! 💖

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The Curious Case of The Shrinking Boobs

Lauren had already caused a stir with her bright red face The day she ditched foundation and just did moisturizer in its place Well this wouldn’t be the last of Lauren screwing with minds Because today she had a new surprise of different kinds You see Lauren is the gal whose boobs are a little bit apparent In fact, there is a running joke among students that has been quite aberrant Lauren also is one to re-wear a bra more than twice But with rampant summer sweat, doing so would be deemed not too nice This morning was a terribly unfortunate time When none of her bras passed the smell test for grime So into the closet, Lauren quickly sifted through To find that comfy sports bra that would just do Well low and behold the only one she could find Was an old ass cotton spandex with a flimsy bind Just like the Grinch’s heart on the night of his Christmas haul The way the bra fit was three sizes too small Which is great to avoid chin damage when running But can cause a size change that is nothing short of stunning “Meh fuck it” I thought, “It’s not THAT bad” and left for school But sasuga my students would make me the fool “Sensei, your boobs!” They exclaimed. “Where did they go?” There was now just a smooshed mound where my bumps used to show “Are these your real boobs? Were there socks in their place?” O those poor boys with such a defeated look on their face “They’re magic,” I told them, “They do as they please” Not sure why they were so concerned about my board of trustees The students who were determined to find out if they were real I feared were conspiring to quickly cop a feel But the whole day I made it with no pokes, grabs, or swipes And I prepare myself for tomorrow’s new gripes For after I (finally) do my laundry tonight I’ll return tomorrow with my boobs arranged just right

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okay, so I’ve seen multiple posts just today that were basically like “haha who ever said adulthood was having your life together and everything figured out, I’m 28 and real life is drowning me as much as it ever was”

and like…the answer to that is…adults. adults said that. generation after generation, the narrative from adults to young people has been, “you are a dumb kid who doesn’t know the world or yourself but I am a Grownup with Life Experience™, and that’s why you’re supposed to do what I tell you, that’s why I don’t need to listen to your thoughts and feelings, that’s why society imagines me as a full human being and you as something that’s going to grow into a full human being.”

there’s a great book all about this that I’ve had a lot of my students read - Childhood and Society, by a sociologist named Nick Lee. Lee argues that the child/adult binary is a socially constructed one, based, like any other such binary, on an imagined idea of clearly oppositional characteristics. specifically, he says that children are imagined as incomplete, unstable (as in their lives and experiences are constantly changing, not as in mentally unstable), and dependent, and adults as complete, stable, and independent. those characteristics don’t match up to reality if you think about them too hard for even a moment - no one is truly independent, adults’ lives aren’t stable, what does judging a human being’s “completeness” even mean - but it doesn’t matter, because our culture is so obsessed with believing in them.

and adults being forced to pretend they’re complete and independent and living stable lives is one of the toxic ways all this plays on people of all ages.

I really hope that seeing my generation talk like this - just flat-out admit that we don’t know what the hell we’re doing any better than we did ten years ago - means we have the potential to break this cycle. but honestly, entering my 30s and having seen so many people my age turn into those adults who act like they have life so well figured out compared to those dumb kids, it doesn’t seem likely. we might be a little better than we could’ve been, but too many of us are going down that tired old road of transitioning from talking about how much smarter we are than our parents to talking about how much smarter we are than our kids, just like every generation does when it hits this age.

I guess what I’m saying is, please, young 20-somethings of today, be better ten years from now than we are.

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i got invited to join the bon odori dance

so im really happy and all but

i didnt realise we’d need to spend 5 hours being there

or we’d only get ONE HALF AN HOUR PRACTICE

i leave in five minutes and im fucked :3

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fast messy little thing about teenage insecurity that I just wanted to scribble out cause it was on my mind for some reason. (be kind to people because you never know how your words might impact them!) To everyone else who’s ever hated their appearance (which let’s be real, is probably everyone reading this right now), I feel you. there’s good days and bad days but hopefully more good than bad. have a great night! best, Kat

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follow up.

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