Well it’s official; I’ve lived in Japan for a year now. It has been a very interesting year to say the least, and I am looking forward to my second and last year working and living in Japan.
Summer has hit Hokkaido now. It’s hot and humid, and the local summer sports have begun. I have already been to four summer festivals, and we are only a month into this summer!
Summer has also definitely hit Toyokoro. The baseball fields are being ploughed and cleaned daily, and the school yard is alive with student’s warm-up chants and the brass band during their after school club practices.
I personally don’t like summer, but I really love the summer here because of the school spirit.
Soon, the students will be off on summer break for about three weeks. Even though it’s a break from school, it isn’t a break from clubs, and homework.
Some students however will be doing an exchange with their Sister City – Summerland! So for just over a week, five students with two chaperones will be visiting Summerland.
Most of the students going have never left Hokkaido let alone Japan! So it will be a life-changing and eye-opening experience for them! I have spent the last couple weeks, and I will spend the next couple weeks trying to prepare them for their trip.
I don’t mean to brag, but the students here are pretty amazing, so I hope everyone tries to make them feel comfortable and show them how great Summerland is.
Today at my monthly Kindergarten class I was finishing up my first class, and as I was leaving I said, “See you, thank you!” and the students replied with, “Thank you, sexy!” then proceeded to walk me out of the classroom chanting “Sexy! Sexy!” How they learned that word among “ethnic, cute, pretty” is beyond me, but it made for a pretty hilarious moment!
Thank you for reading. Baka wa shinanakya naoranai – only death will cure a fool/ you can’t fix stupid.
The Summerland Sister City will be advertising next month for someone to fill my position in August 2015. If you have any questions about the job or the town of Toyokoro please feel free to email me at annamarshall12@gmail.com.
Anna Marshall is in Summerland’s sister city of Toyokoro, Japan as the assistant English teacher.
