Back at school. The first thing we heard this morning was, "Prease excuse me, but the plans have changed." Instead of what we'd worked out the previous week, now we are to give a lesson to the 11th and 12th graders, with the help of two good students, on how to write about the parent conferences in English. Please remember that we were not at the parent conferences. This was a cheery lesson on the part of us four teachers, but our students appeared to be petrified. They all claimed they liked it, though.
We made ourselves available afterwards to help anyone who wanted their English checked, but nobody did.
Camilla spent much of the afternoon asleep, possibly a mild illness, possibly exhaustion from our breakneck pace. In the mean time, I corrected a transcript of a BBC series on why the first Egyptian kingdom fell (climate change/drought). It made me understand once again how difficult English is. The word "the" is such a problem for someone who speaks a language where it is not used. Do you say "the Egypt?" No, but why not? This took THREE HOURS.
Then Yayoi and Matsuname-san took us off to get groceries. The cafeteria food here is pretty much inedible. I was willing to eat it anyway, but really, I don't do well with stomach aches. Camilla is fah moah refahned than I am and simply goes without food rather than eat sludge. Today I had lunch at the cafeteria while she slept. Overcooked noodles in brine, overcooked white rice, and soggy breaded fried fish. That was it. Anyway, we went out for Italian food, then bought an electric burner, a skillet, some eggs and cheese and mushrooms and a bag of rice, yams, onions, and cabbage. I feel better already.
We finished up the evening by learning our schedule for tomorrow. I do a math lesson, followed by, surprise, a crafts lesson, then a calligraphy lesson, then teach a round to the entire group, then teach the Egypt transcript to the teachers in the evening. I'm curious to see if that's what actually happens. It's certainly a hefty schedule!
We made ourselves available afterwards to help anyone who wanted their English checked, but nobody did.
Camilla spent much of the afternoon asleep, possibly a mild illness, possibly exhaustion from our breakneck pace. In the mean time, I corrected a transcript of a BBC series on why the first Egyptian kingdom fell (climate change/drought). It made me understand once again how difficult English is. The word "the" is such a problem for someone who speaks a language where it is not used. Do you say "the Egypt?" No, but why not? This took THREE HOURS.
Then Yayoi and Matsuname-san took us off to get groceries. The cafeteria food here is pretty much inedible. I was willing to eat it anyway, but really, I don't do well with stomach aches. Camilla is fah moah refahned than I am and simply goes without food rather than eat sludge. Today I had lunch at the cafeteria while she slept. Overcooked noodles in brine, overcooked white rice, and soggy breaded fried fish. That was it. Anyway, we went out for Italian food, then bought an electric burner, a skillet, some eggs and cheese and mushrooms and a bag of rice, yams, onions, and cabbage. I feel better already.
We finished up the evening by learning our schedule for tomorrow. I do a math lesson, followed by, surprise, a crafts lesson, then a calligraphy lesson, then teach a round to the entire group, then teach the Egypt transcript to the teachers in the evening. I'm curious to see if that's what actually happens. It's certainly a hefty schedule!
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