Day 104 (Swimming in the pool at school) - Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Day 104 - Swimming in the pool at school
After my classes today when boredom was kicking in high gear along with the temperature being 32 degrees C, I summed up all my courage and asked the English coordinator if I could go swim in the pool. This same English coordinator who gave me the go ahead 2 weeks ago, now decided to ask the principal. Now this principal is a tiny, short lady and she is very fiesty and sorta miserable, thankfully not with me though. Sooo yes the English coordinator asked the principal, who intern started to discuss the matter with the vice principal, who intern made probably 12 phone calls.
I know he called the Board of education and several other places, I was hoping not my company. I started to wonder if they were going to call my mom and dad and my pastor as well. Because the process probably took like 45 mins, and it seem as if they were going to have a staff meeting about it afterwards.... Of course I was saying in my mind "Why did I ask??" I was also wondering if I can simply tell them "OK Don't bother". But after that lengthy process they finally said YES you can go in the pool, with smiles on their faces....
So now at the pool, there were three (3) different facial expressions that I noticed. I draw my own conclusions from what is going on in their minds... and this is what I think, which could be wrong...
Firstly the male kids.... WOW!!! Dave Sensei, come on in, it's going to be fun :)
The female kids ... WOW!!! Dave sensei is not in a work shirt or a jacket and tie (giggle giggle), is he really heading for our pool?? He doesn't look like our other teachers at all :o
The teachers both males and females (with an uncomfortable, piercing stare at me) .... This guy cannot be serious!!! I wonder if he is coming to watch or is he actually planning on coming into our pool??? I don't feel totally comfortable with this :00
I didn't really care what they thought, because I already got permission from the bigger heads.. ... so I took off my mariner and a male kid came up and told me to go and wash off before jumping into the water. Then the male kids were all like, come on Dave Sensei let's go let's go, this was still while the teachers and the other kids were in their "shock and awe" mode. So I jumped in the water, then one of the teacher's told me to take off my chain, bracelet and ring. Now, one time, I made the mistake of holding up my hands in the air, and under my arms were not shaved....OOH BOYY.... The kids almost caught a fit when they saw the hairs under my arms; as it looked remarkably different from that of their teachers, whose arms weren't shaved either... The guys were then trying so hard to get me to lift up my hands again but noooooo way..... Darn Crazy Japanese kids ... There is this thing that Japanese do when they win a match or some thing, they would lift up both hands and say "BANZAI, BANZAI"... So a kid came up to me and was saying "Banzai, Banzai" and wanted me to follow, but I figured him out early...
A kid wanted me to race him to the end of the pool. So I consented... The first thing, I cannot swim for more than half of the length of the pool. But I still tried to race him. O boy!!. Halfway to the end, I was out of breath, so I lifted up my head and was asking "Hey where is that kid??" I looked up and he was already at the other end of the pool. I have absolutely no clue how this kid swam so fast. Anyway, by the time I squinted, it was time for me to leave work. So I washed off and hurried out of the pool.
I then drove home and my landlord came to pick me up for us to have dinner. So we had yaki soba, pork and yaki tori (grilled chicken with onions, pon one piece a stick). Then the landlord told me that he wanted to take my picture and use my face on one of his advertisements in the newspaper, along with this girl that goes to a nursing college in our area. He then called the girl to meet with us and of course without a doubt she was shocked to see me. I was introducing myself to her in Japanese and then she just said to me plainly in English... "What's your name??" So I was like, "good you speak English"... We chatted a little, then she ordered her food. I was already full and she said, "Hey, do you want some of my beef??".. Before I could tell her that I am full, she already placed 2 pieces of her medium rear beef in my plate.
So now at the pool, there were three (3) different facial expressions that I noticed. I draw my own conclusions from what is going on in their minds... and this is what I think, which could be wrong...
Firstly the male kids.... WOW!!! Dave Sensei, come on in, it's going to be fun :)
The female kids ... WOW!!! Dave sensei is not in a work shirt or a jacket and tie (giggle giggle), is he really heading for our pool?? He doesn't look like our other teachers at all :o
The teachers both males and females (with an uncomfortable, piercing stare at me) .... This guy cannot be serious!!! I wonder if he is coming to watch or is he actually planning on coming into our pool??? I don't feel totally comfortable with this :00
I didn't really care what they thought, because I already got permission from the bigger heads.. ... so I took off my mariner and a male kid came up and told me to go and wash off before jumping into the water. Then the male kids were all like, come on Dave Sensei let's go let's go, this was still while the teachers and the other kids were in their "shock and awe" mode. So I jumped in the water, then one of the teacher's told me to take off my chain, bracelet and ring. Now, one time, I made the mistake of holding up my hands in the air, and under my arms were not shaved....OOH BOYY.... The kids almost caught a fit when they saw the hairs under my arms; as it looked remarkably different from that of their teachers, whose arms weren't shaved either... The guys were then trying so hard to get me to lift up my hands again but noooooo way..... Darn Crazy Japanese kids ... There is this thing that Japanese do when they win a match or some thing, they would lift up both hands and say "BANZAI, BANZAI"... So a kid came up to me and was saying "Banzai, Banzai" and wanted me to follow, but I figured him out early...
A kid wanted me to race him to the end of the pool. So I consented... The first thing, I cannot swim for more than half of the length of the pool. But I still tried to race him. O boy!!. Halfway to the end, I was out of breath, so I lifted up my head and was asking "Hey where is that kid??" I looked up and he was already at the other end of the pool. I have absolutely no clue how this kid swam so fast. Anyway, by the time I squinted, it was time for me to leave work. So I washed off and hurried out of the pool.
I then drove home and my landlord came to pick me up for us to have dinner. So we had yaki soba, pork and yaki tori (grilled chicken with onions, pon one piece a stick). Then the landlord told me that he wanted to take my picture and use my face on one of his advertisements in the newspaper, along with this girl that goes to a nursing college in our area. He then called the girl to meet with us and of course without a doubt she was shocked to see me. I was introducing myself to her in Japanese and then she just said to me plainly in English... "What's your name??" So I was like, "good you speak English"... We chatted a little, then she ordered her food. I was already full and she said, "Hey, do you want some of my beef??".. Before I could tell her that I am full, she already placed 2 pieces of her medium rear beef in my plate.
So I ate 1 of them and could not manage the other one. Plus medium rear????? This is a traditional behaviour of the Japanese I met so far...... They ask you if you want something, and before you answer, it's already there... or they give you something without asking if you want it and say "DOZO" (Please have it...).... Sometimes all they need to do is hear you mention a word that they recognize, then they are already going to get it for you... Like on Sunday at church, I mentioned the word milk in a conversation, and the pastor's daughter was like "You want milk?" Just as I was about to answer, she was already in the kitchen getting the milk... Almost like "It doesn't really matter what you say, we are going to get it for you, and you better have it !!!"... This is the main reason why I make sure to tell every one of them "I DONT EAT EGG, I DONT LIKE TOFU and I DONT LIKE this taste bad ting name NATO...And Japanese oh so loooove these things... As long as it's healthy, whether it tastes bad or not, the Japanese will eat it.
After this restaurant, the landlord who was half drunk took us to this karaoke place; where he gave us red wine, peanuts and more food. I tried to sing a Japanese song at karaoke and the landlord sang as well. The girl said she doesn't like karaoke too much so she didn't sing. The landlord accidentally spilled some of the red wine on the girl's dress and the lady working around the bar table at the karaoke was laughing away. I kinda found it a bit funny too but I was fighting the laughter... apparently, when Japanese men are drunk or close to it, they want the people who they take out to get drunk, or close to it as welll. The man kept buying more red wine for us, even after I told him that, hey Im full... They just won't listen to you when you tell them this....
anyhow... inna di laters, ooh Richard, is not me change di oil yuh mad?? Is the gas station people dem deal wid it...My yute, afta mi nuh know nutten bout coolant and dem tings deh!!!
After this restaurant, the landlord who was half drunk took us to this karaoke place; where he gave us red wine, peanuts and more food. I tried to sing a Japanese song at karaoke and the landlord sang as well. The girl said she doesn't like karaoke too much so she didn't sing. The landlord accidentally spilled some of the red wine on the girl's dress and the lady working around the bar table at the karaoke was laughing away. I kinda found it a bit funny too but I was fighting the laughter... apparently, when Japanese men are drunk or close to it, they want the people who they take out to get drunk, or close to it as welll. The man kept buying more red wine for us, even after I told him that, hey Im full... They just won't listen to you when you tell them this....
anyhow... inna di laters, ooh Richard, is not me change di oil yuh mad?? Is the gas station people dem deal wid it...My yute, afta mi nuh know nutten bout coolant and dem tings deh!!!
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