highlights

here is a pic of two of my students —taken at dinner with my new camera (yipeee and its green).

the week’s lesson highlights include

trying to get students to guess (lesson on speculating) what American map icons mean and learning that hotels are just as likely as hospitals to be marked on Japanese maps
practicing how natives slurr their words together with phrases that I’d read outloud and they’d guess
“Get on the bus at the bus stop over there” became something about jumping out of the bath naked and trying to catch the bus
“I have a one in five chance in winning” became ‘I have a one in five chance of wedding”
two lessons this week with my biotech genius private student. one of which we discussed intelligent design vs evolution and what the Kansas school board should teach (did all of you check out my ‘new religion’ link? if not, do it now and be enlightened on the existence of the Flying Spaghetti Monster god.)

and I misspelled vague (vauge) on the board and got totally busted by my students

other news:

we have new contracts that change the number of working hours in creative ways to make us technically part time
really it doesn’t change much, but avoids the new Japanese law that has to do with foreigners and National health insurance
so I’m not holding my breath about any possibility of moving closer to either school. I have a new secret plan and in the mean time am settleing into my apartment, buying organizers and putting stuff on the walls