Today for writing class they composed letters welcoming the student and in their free time a group designed a poster welcoming him to our "1st and 2nd glad classroom". I think they meant to write "grade" but "glad" is a fitting description of this bunch, too!
The new student's first language is Spanish. When I speak to the new family and I try to dig out the old college Spanish learning files in the "foreign language folder" in my head it all comes out Japanese. - Like when I try to say "thank you" - ありがとう- arigato comes to mind instead of gracias! Thankfully all the students have figured out that a smile is a language that everyone understands.
4 comments:
I had the same problem when I first moved to Japan! I could understand Japanese before I could speak it so I would answer just about any question asked of me in Japanese in Spanish. Talk about some weird looks! I enjoy reading your blog. I'm in the States on home assignment and sometimes the pictures make me downright homesick! Thanks for posting and especially for being a light in a dark dark place.
Hi Shannon! Thanks for commenting I'm glad you're enjoying the blog. When I first came to Japan I would say "Si" instead of Hai! to answer Japanese questions. Now it's the other way around - a fun twist. I'm curious about your work in Japan! Where do you call home in Japan? Where in the states are you now? Blessings on your home assignment! Keep spreading the word of the need of workers in Japan!
Well home in Japan used to be in Hokkaido. (Ebetsu Shi - a bedroom community of the capital Sapporo) But more than likely that will change to Saitama in the Tokyo area when I return to Japan at the end of this year. Home in America is middle Tennessee...about 30 minutes north of Nashville. I work with a church planting group and just finished my first term. Can't believe how fast it flew by! I taught English, kind of taught Bible studies in Japanese, helped out with various and sundry jobs at the church, and was the field nurse for the missionaries. (I was a nurse in my previous life :-) How long have you been in Japan?
Shannon, Ahh - Hokkaido - that's on my list of places I want to visit in Japan. I used to live in Saitama (Niiza) when I did language study, before moving to Nara. I've been a career missionary for just over 3 years but did multiple short-term projects so all total I've lived in Japan 6 years.
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