(no subject)

I didn't expect the culture shock to hit prior to leaving Japan, but I had never flow business class before.

I write to you from United's International Lounge for those of us living large. To my right is a food and drink bar, with bottles of wine and booze and juices just there for the taking...and bananas. There are comfortbale chairs and low lighting and no one looks like they have lost the will to live. 

It's a little scary.

I walked to school today, instead of going to city hall first. It was a 40 minute walk and hot, but I know I'd regret not walking later when trapped in an airplane. I taught with one of my favorite teachers, and we taught one of our least favorite topics (subjects) so we could get it out of the way.

The last class of 5th graders were particularly animated. The students were in a decided mood to "talk with Kathryn and get her off topic" and I was in the same sort of mood...so as they did the group work (creating dream schedules, wherein we allowed them to incloude anything they could write in English, including sleep time, wii time, Disneyland, School bye-bye,  whatever) i ended up chating a lot. High points included:

-A boy who, when threatened by my flyswatter, showed some self preservation ability in English. If you menace him he shouts "I'm sorry!" in English.
-a boy who confided in me that the last time we had English anotehr student told him (in English) to "Shut Up" and how that made him feel (clutch chest and utter in Engloish) "Heart break! Heart Break!"

Then came the MJ questions. I don't know if I truely understood the international reach of MJ until I saw two boys stand up and start doing the Thriller zombie dance why another boy "sung" along...(in quotes because actual English words were not involved).

At the end of class we clapped until one of the boys came up and did a bit of the dance for everyone...and them I taught them some simple MJ turns. A few showed me mooonwalks.

Truely, a surreal start to a day which brings me here, a quiet lounge.

(no subject)

I didn't expect the culture shock to hit prior to leaving Japan, but I had never flow business class before.

I write to you from United's International Lounge for those of us living large. To my right is a food and drink bar, with bottles of wine and booze and juices just there for the taking...and bananas. There are comfortbale chairs and low lighting and no one looks like they have lost the will to live. 

It's a little scary.

I walked to school today, instead of going to city hall first. It was a 40 minute walk and hot, but I know I'd regret not walking later when trapped in an airplane. I taught with one of my favorite teachers, and we taught one of our least favorite topics (subjects) so we could get it out of the way.

The last class of 5th graders were particularly animated. The students were in a decided mood to "talk with Kathryn and get her off topic" and I was in the same sort of mood...so as they did the group work (creating dream schedules, wherein we allowed them to incloude anything they could write in English, including sleep time, wii time, Disneyland, School bye-bye,  whatever) i ended up chating a lot. High points included:

-A boy who, when threatened by my flyswatter, showed some self preservation ability in English. If you menace him he shouts "I'm sorry!" in English.
-a boy who confided in me that the last time we had English anotehr student told him (in English) to "Shut Up" and how that made him feel (clutch chest and utter in Engloish) "Heart break! Heart Break!"

Then came the MJ questions. I don't know if I truely understood the international reach of MJ until I saw two boys stand up and start doing the Thriller zombie dance why another boy "sung" along...(in quotes because actual English words were not involved).

At the end of class we clapped until one of the boys came up and did a bit of the dance for everyone...and them I taught them some simple MJ turns. A few showed me mooonwalks.

Truely, a surreal start to a day which brings me here, a quiet lounge.

We've got some good pictures.

I am surounded by ceramic cats, bears, and rabbits.

Damn, my family can talk. And we have been swapping stories which I will try to record later including:

-When they met the backwoods members of the family, heard the N word a lot, and met their stupidist relative.(related stories "drank moonshine" and "hit on by own cousin")
-The time they couldn't cash grandma"s pay check because Uncle Bob bit some lady in the butt.
-survival skills in high school and teachers who looked embalmed.
-cars owned and wrecked...

My mother has been scanning a lot of the pictures she got from Grandma about a year ago when Grandma was moved to hospice. This is just a few but should bring joy to vintage photo lovers. I will post more later. Doing well.
( Picture Pages. )

We've got some good pictures.

I am surounded by ceramic cats, bears, and rabbits.

Damn, my family can talk. And we have been swapping stories which I will try to record later including:

-When they met the backwoods members of the family, heard the N word a lot, and met their stupidist relative.(related stories "drank moonshine" and "hit on by own cousin")
-The time they couldn't cash grandma"s pay check because Uncle Bob bit some lady in the butt.
-survival skills in high school and teachers who looked embalmed.
-cars owned and wrecked...

My mother has been scanning a lot of the pictures she got from Grandma about a year ago when Grandma was moved to hospice. This is just a few but should bring joy to vintage photo lovers. I will post more later. Doing well.
( Picture Pages. )