This kid's got it figured out.

My buddy Phi here has learned to aim low so he's more likely to be pleasantly surprised when he gets his tests back. Scoring a 67 instead of a predicted 50 is a great feeling for a junior high student. That, and he got a higher score due to my incredible teaching skills.

These kids' minds are so ready for molding...

These kids are great. Show 'em some good old fashioned western boxing and they start a brawl in the hall ways. They come up to me one day and say, "Show me how to do a hook!" "Show me how to throw a straight!" "Jab!" "Upper!"

What other possible alternatives are available to me? None. I'm a teacher, right? So, of course I educate them... and like any good students would do, they put their knowledge to work straight away.

Not gonna lie, this made my day..

I had to take a minute to soak it in, but after further inspection and the tactile response of picking it up, I realized it was real... It made it even better because one kid said, "Hey look, he's taking a picture of your notebook 'cause you're so dumb"

God, I love my job...

Holy crap...

Japanese schools are intense. With that established, the teachers have a lot of stress... So when they party, they leave it all on the table.


I love my co-workers.

First impressions

So we had an opening ceremony on the first day of school. The teachers ran me around for a little bit then we finally made it to the gym where all the students file in and sit on the hard wood floor. Poor little tykes... So after I made my little introduction to the student body, I went to stand on the side lines. Forever. Plus a day. I found myself looking for any kind of amusement. Then I caught this one kid looking at me so I give him this huge smile and cock my head back "SUP"

He starts cracking up, then a teacher comes out of nowhere and smacks him upside the head for having a good time. Heaven forbid you have a good time at an assembly. I felt kinda bad but found myself doing it to any other kid that would look at me.

This is going to be GREAT.

Finally...

Holy shite, skool starts tomorrow (Monday the 1st) and I'm chillin' on the second floor of my residence ridin' on someone's internet. For being a tech captital of the world, I expected to be jacked in when I touched down. Well.. FUCK, it's raining..

Ok, so I'm now on the staircase.. Anyway, my first week here has been pretty awesome. We hit up the beer garden on top of the Egret Center across from Himeji Castle where the view was amazing then I rocked out some Journey during karaoke and managed to cock block a fellow ALT something fierce, though I didn't realize it at the time.

Some of the English teachers who've been here the previous year took all us new guys to a gaijin bar after karaoke. And that's where I met the tallest guy in Japan at a lofty 6' 6"... He was pretty drunk so after I managed to ask what his name was, he proceeded to tell me that he can get "drugs and bitches" way cheap and his genitals resemble a fire hose. Too bad his hands were the size of an infant's or else I would've given him the benefit of the doubt.

More to come later, gotta make a good impression with my introduction speech.

And I'm at the airport...

I woke up at 4am today so I could be at the airport way too early for my flight.

I'm sitting at the terminal.

I'm tired, to be continued....