Training.

How should I start? There were only 4 trainees, including myself, and they were all Americans, excluding myself. On the platform at my train station I had noticed two foreign boys (they kinda stood out from amongst the black hair) and I had inkling that they could be English teachers. but how likely would it be that they were going to work for Nova? Anyway, at branch training area, guess who I saw?
During the three days of training I realised that there are usually two clear sets of reasons why people come over here to work. The first is that they have an interest in all things Japanese and likes to travel, kind of well rounded in all areas. The second type involves getting drunk, partying, getting drunk, getting laid, and getting drunk, in no particular order. Unfortunately, that is usually the culture with most English instructors at the place I was training at. My flatmate confirmed it too (she works at that branch). The last trainee arrived a little bit late (shock horror!!) but surprisingly he is a saver and not a spender.

Oh my flatmate's cool. I get along with her very well, so that's one thing I can be thankful for. For one thing she is not the typical American that's arrogant, loud and brash - she's actually very considerate (she wrote me a note today apologising for making loud noises this morning - I think I was still dead to the world because I didn't hear a thing) and it's nice to have someone at home when you come back to vent or chat about what happened during the day.

I do like mixing with people from other countries because there's always amusing peculiarities to be shared - like 'erbs' and 'herbs'; 'moe-ka' and 'mocha'; my flatmate eating apples with peanut butter on top (it's very nice). One of the boys wore 'suspenders' instead of 'braces' (I told him what suspenders were in Oz and he laugh). I forgot about the whole 'thong' and 'sandals' misunderstanding so when I was describing what I usually wore back home (we were chatting that we never wore businesswear and were feeling rather uncomfortable) he gawked at me. 'THONG on your feet?! Do you mean SANDALS??? ' He said 'thong' like it was a bad word. Haha! They didn't know what fairy floss was (can't remember what they used...is it candy floss?) and a hardarse is someone who is stiff and goes by the book.

The biggest problem we found was that it was really diffcult simplifying things - making things more direct. How do you explain sociable? Another thing was that we spent too much time talking and not enough time for the students to practise. I tell you, it's not as easy as you think it is! The very very first lesson I taught was great - the students were pretty advanced and they knew each other so the atmosphere was very relaxed - basically half the work's been done for me already. The maximum number of students in a class is 4 - so it's supposed to be quite easily managed.

Yeah, I started well and went downhill from there. You guys know that I'm crap with maths right? Well, yeeaaah... I made a boo boo not once, but twice. Over a similar mistake again. The topic I was teaching was 'returning/exchanging goods' and during role playing one of the students was the shop assistant and the other was the customer - the 'shop assistant' had a warranty card on his page so he knows what to answer when the 'customer' tells him when the item was bought. To exchange audio and home equipment it had to be returned within 60 days or else it only could be repaired - and when the 'customer' said "I err...bought a TB (japs have problem with pronoucing v)...um... thee months ago" and the 'shop assistant' said, "Oh...I am sorry...I...can't exchangee...only lepair." I butted in and insists "no no you can exchange" (I thought 3 months = 60 days DUHHH). When the role playing was reversed I did the same thing to the other guy, only this time he wanted it repaired and I said he can't because the warranty had expired (for exchanging only) when in fact it still could be repaired. O H M Y G O D. Please, let me open the window so I can jump out, so I can end my sad sad existence.

On the second day of training: I got my bike everyone!!! It's red and very shiny! Hurray! I don't have to walk like those losers no more! And it cuts my time to the station in half (or more) I only have to pay 100 yen to park at the station for the whole day. It's a nana bike, with a nana basket in front and squeaky brakes, but it's the best purchase I've made so far. Grandma's hip you kno'.

So we continued ploughing along, making mistakes and other comedies. My eyes were starting to feel a little funny so I kept rubbing it the whole time, and now (today is Fri, 2nd training day was Tues) both of my eyes are infected and red. Ergh. It feels like there's foreign particles in there (I don't doubt something's growing under my eyelids). I think my mascara or liner might have been contaminated so now I'm paying for it. I hope it gets better! I feel weird with no makeup.

One of the dudes had for lunch (blind pick) this most delicious smelling curry but visually it was the fouliest. It wasn't your normal curry colour...it was more like a murky deep dark green and it horridly reminds me of puke and poo mixed together. He closed his eyes when he was shoving and when he finished he pushed the plate back and sat facing the other way because he didn't want to chuck it all up again, looking exactly as it would have been when he first bought it. LOL.

After work we went for supper at a real sushi train! It was soo yummy! Each dish was 136 yen and it's made on the spot. You just have to call out "_______ o kudasai!!" The fish were fresh and fat. Goooooood stuff!

Hahah that reminds me. To praise the students, alot of the seasoned teachers (usually male) says 'Good job! Good job!' or 'Good stuff!' with a thumbs up signal. Both hands.

On the third day of training: I'm beginning to realised with the lessons it's alot of crap pulling from my rear end. If you can think on your feet it's great! Just as long as you look and act confident, everything's a-ok. I think this type of work will do me good - and for my last lesson, apparently I achieved that. I was way ahead of schedule (because I misread my watch...ooh that's another thing - I am supposed to check my watch without looking like I am checking my watch..Skills dudes!) So I had to start pulling fluff from thin air - it felt like there was an alarm siren right behind my eyes and shitshitshitshitshit!! was running continuously in my head like a broken record but to the seasoned teacher spying on me from the other room I looked like I knew what I was doing. Yeah. I knew what I was doing. Ha ha ha. (Gulp)

The 'rooms' are not very friendly looking...its basically a floor thats been divided into little partitions - just enough to fit a small kidney shaped table with four chairs on one side and one chair on the other - with absolutely no privacy - its all glass (or plastic, I haven't tested it out) from waist high right to the ceiling.

At the end of it all we celebrated at TenGou with our trainer. My flatmate came along, as well as another teacher - he acts and looks like Mr Bean! Especially when he pouts hahah! He told me he's been reminded by other people that he looks like Elijah Wood too. Yes, think a cross between Frodo and Mr. Bean, and that's what Richard would look like. What was supposed to be 'Yeah, I'll prolly stay for one drink' turned to catching one of the later trains (last hour) home. I also got to see the drink culture in full swing. I had a small bottle of sake and called it quits but the other dudes had 3 jugs of beer each before ordering 12 bottles of one litre beer (this is between 5 guys - my flatmate declined as well) in the space of 2 hrs. WOW. I must admit though, alchohol is super cheap here. A bottle of Bailey's back home is about what, 35 bucks? It's around $15 here! It's easily accessible too, none of this show-me-your-license crap. They sell most alcohol at convenience stores too.

I think this post is long enough. Made up for my lack of communication these past few days, hey?