You can do it!

Last week I had my last class... ahhh.

Fuji-san from the Board of Education.

First thing I did was spend a good couple of hours cleaning my bike - it's approaching rainy season so once a week the heavens open and I get wet... Then met up with Mina and Christine and went to find a tea house I'd spotted the weekend before, on the way we came across a rather large national dance festival/competition happening downtown - see the things you don't notice because you can't read!

Anyway we were on a tea mission so on we went through the castle park, which is just starting to blossom. I think I'll miss the height of the blossom when I'm home ... nuts.



Then we found the tea house and stopped for a brew.


After that we returned to the fray of the dance festival which was by now in full swing and watched teams from all over Japan get funky. There must have been a few thousand people there and a huge number of participants, all dressed in their special costumes. Japan is good at festivals.



"That's about as useful as a **** flavoured lollipop!"

Perhaps the most enterntaining dancers were the smaller participants - this group were giving it some to "You can do it, put your back in to it" and generally girating way too suggestively for folk of their stature. Easily the best dancing I saw all day was two eight year old girls doing a lengthy routine to a melody of explicit hip-hop... damn it if they're weren't too bootylicious for just about everyone there.

Sayonara sucker!

This week I've had my last class with each of my classes, next week term ends, and then I'm back to blighty! (if only for 10 days or so). I took a photo at the end of each class, can you tell which ones were genki?
Here's the first years at Maruzuka.






This kid is constantly trying to smack me in the nuts... and yet he's one of my favourites.


Mr. Ohsuka with 一年一組.

This is Miss Suzuki, I taught every class bar two at Maruzuka with her.

In one of the first lessons I had one kid raised his English folder in the air with a grin, this is the most accurate depiction of me in action I think you're likely to find.


Here's the second grade at Maruzuka. Not so genki.




The girl second in from the left has consistently asked me the most innapropriate questions as she is able. It's impressive considering her english ability - she knows what she's about.

And here's Kami's second grade. I forgot to take a picture of the other three classes. The teacher is Mrs Toyoda.

Tomorrow I have my final classes with my first years at Kami, I'll try and gget pictures of them too.

"I don't English."

Do you like making babies?
Do you play sex?
I play soccer with my stomach.
See you Darling.
Here you are - Thankyou follow me.
Can you buy me some beer?
He is wide stomach, small feet.
He is small fairy.
FAI-TO!
He big nose.
You have the hottest heart.
He's big boy.
He's small boy.
Jona-teacher!
She is very very love you. It's secret.
SHUT UP!
She is noisy girl.
You are nice guy.
Wow, a lot of bicycles!
Dance makes me happy, Dance makes me tired. I will dance forever.
I'm hat! Oh yes, I do.

(selected student outbursts to present)

"now be a good lad and put some troosers on"

for Jon.

An Ode to Rolf Harris

Sa-mu-ra---i---s in the morning.