大久保での体験

 

Surprise! I accidentally found myself in a part of Koreatown this week when I went to visit Okubo. I kept walking past shops and I could hear K-pop songs from many bands I know which made me happy, but I was so confused at the time about why all the shops in this area were playing Korean music! It was a really cool place though because it had many different types of people and shops and food. There were many more foreigners there than in Kichijoji, and they were from all over the world, so it was so interesting to see such a huge range of people together in one place! I found an Indian shop which was really exciting because it had all the ingredients and food I am used to at home with my parents’ cooking. There were many Japanese people shopping there which was really great to see! I even bought a kebab for dinner at a little Turkish kebab stand where the man was wearing a red and gold fez (a type of hat) and a matching vest, kind of like what Aladdin wears! I was really glad to see all the different people and cultures Japan is opening up to and I hope it can continue to grow in the future.

文化祭

 

　　This week I had the pleasure of attending Fujimura’s bunkasai! Back at home in New Zealand, we don’t really have anything like this, so I was really excited to see what it would be like. I attended on both days and I was so glad I did! The school had transformed beautifully with all the decorations and I absolutely loved watching the students doing the things they love, they are incredibly hard workers and so talented. The gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics performances were so amazing, I almost couldn’t believe it was real! Walking around the classrooms and visiting the various things students had set up was so interesting; I was really impressed by how students had made things such as the ride in the classroom and the haunted house, and it makes me wonder when they found the time! One of my favourite parts of the bunkasai was the end of the first day when students who had volunteered went up on stage and performed the things that they had come up with themselves. In my school, we had something similar to this called ‘Variety Show’, where students who volunteered would prepare some type of performance such as singing, dancing, and playing instruments. However, I found the performances at the bunkasai a lot more fun! The energy was awesome and I was very happy to see all the K-pop dance covers the students did, especially with how the other students cheered them on. It was truly a great experience!

NZでは経験できないこと

 

I still haven’t been here for that long yet and life in Japan is already quite an experience! Of course, moving and setting up your life alone in a completely new place comes with challenges, the biggest one being how much I miss my family, but there is a lot to be grateful for. I’ve been having amazing encounters with both Japanese people and other foreigners and have made some really great friends. There are also so many more events and festivals here than there are in New Zealand which is really exciting, especially because there’s a lot more people to celebrate them too!

Fujimura’s own Mass Games was a great experience; I took so many photos and videos that my phone ran out of storage space! Back at my school in New Zealand, we didn’t really have anything like this, and I’ve been told that it’s a pretty special thing even amongst Japanese schools, so I feel very lucky I got to experience that. The students had said they had been practicing since April which is amazing and I was really happy and proud to see the beautiful outcome of all the hard work they put in. I can see people rushing around even now, getting ready for the school’s culture festival, so I’m very excited!

9月1日 ダニア先生をお迎えしました。

 

9月1日、新しくALTの先生をお迎えしました。

Hello!
My name is Dania Rathod and I come from Wellington, New Zealand. I was born in India and moved to New Zealand when I was five years old. I am now 21 years old! I live with my mother, father, younger sister, and my very cute dog! I miss them a lot but everyone has been kind so far which makes living alone in a foreign country feel much better. Although this is my first time to Japan, my mother has been to Japan before and she said it was a beautiful country, one of the best she’s been to, so I’m really looking forward to travelling and experiencing different parts of Japan and Japanese culture! I hope I can learn Japanese quickly as well because I’d like to be able to talk to more people, but kanji is very hard! I’m already learning about many things being at this school so thank you very much for accepting me into Fujimura. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

お別れーーーエマ先生、マーレン先生

 This past year at Fujimura has been an amazing teaching opportunity. We are thankful to all our wonderful students and supportive JTEs that have made this past year such an enjoyable experience. We’ve loved teaching and getting to know you all. As you move forward in your education, please remember to keep studying English! There is a huge world out there to explore and English can help you navigate it. We hope to see you all again someday.

 

Thank you all!

~Marlene Pierce and Emma Sletteland

日本の雨とその備えーーーマーレン先生

 

It’s the start of rainy season here in Tokyo and I still can’t believe how different the rain is here. I grew up in Washington state, which is known for its high amount of rainy days. In fact, a lot of people call my state the “Rainy State.” Back home, however, the rain is very light. It often feels more like a mist or gentle sprinkle. Very rarely do you see Washingtonians (people from Washington State) using an umbrella when it is raining, only a light jacket. When I moved here, I assumed that it would be similar.

 

My first typhoon quickly proved me wrong. I walked out and saw the familiar dark clouds that mean rain and thought, “It’s ok. I’m from Washington. I can handle a little rain.” Within seconds, a little rain turned into a solid wall of water. Tokyo rain feels like taking a shower it is so heavy! I quickly found myself running to the nearest store and buying my first ever umbrella! This time, when I heard it was rainy season, I was prepared. Now, I never leave the house without a portable umbrella securely in my purse.

中学の英語劇：シンデレラ ーーーエマ先生

 

A couple of weeks ago, I was able to watch the junior high first year class’ performance of Cinderella. It was so much fun to watch! I loved all of the fun costumes and sound effects. At the end, the girls even sang a song in English. I was really impressed. The play was really good practice for the students for “EP Days,” which is coming up soon in the beginning of July. During EP Days, all of the middle school students will write, rehearse, and preform a play in English. Now, I am focusing my first year classes around getting the students ready for EP days. The students are working on writing and giving speeches in pairs. This is excellent practice for them to be able to write and preform a play in English during EP days. I’m very excited to see what the girls will come up with at EP Days!