Love Letter

Today, I received a letter of an apology for being absent from one student. I usually get those kinds of letters written in their broken English. Sometimes, they send it to me directly and sometimes they send it through the office and the staff sends it to me. But this letter today is different.

Here it is:

こんにちは。

今日の１６：００のレッスンで、応答がこないと思っていたら・・　ワイアレスのスイッチが

オフになっている事に、旦那さんが帰ってきてからわかりました。

私が　パソコンがあまり使えないので・・。

先生に　またまた　申し訳なかったです。

すみませんでした。

I consulted Google Translate with this and it said:

Hello.

Wireless switches · 4:00 PM I thought today's lesson, the childdoes not respond and

Was found to be turned off, comes back from her husband.

I can not use PC-much.

I did not apologize once again to the teacher.

I'm sorry.

Even though with the translation from Google Translate, it still doesn't make sense to me. I can read some of the characters so I know she is sorry. And I guess, she also said that she knew that the lesson will be at 1600 but the connection was not responding. And she found that their wireless switch was turned on but she still needs to wait for her husband to return. She doesn't use the PC so much, so, she doesn't know about it too well. She also mentioned that she didn't apologize to the teacher, so for that, she is very sorry. Isn't it sweet?

I hope I can read Japanese well so I don't have to consult with translators anymore. Translators can be handy sometimes but not so good with complex sentences. So, still the best resort is to learn Japanese. It can be helpful for students like her and it can be easier to explain English terms exactly.

So, in response to her letter, I gave her private message in English. That will serve as her homework. :D

It's always nice to receive apology emails/ private messages from students who miss your lessons. It makes you feel important and it really shows their eagerness to have a lesson with you. It gives you more inspiration to improve your teaching skills and interaction with the student. And you'll know for sure that the student will definitely book you again the next time.

Another New Sched

I've said before that I have been teaching for a year already. I thought that one year as a teacher equates to popular. Actually, NO. :D

I still get some lazy days, like today. I only have a total of three lessons for the first half of my working time and later, another three. Sigh.

With that, I requested to change my schedule again. It was actually approved around last week and it will be effective on the second day of March. So, from the 1400-2000 JPT schedule, I will work from 1630-2200 JPT.

The new schedule will help entertain interviews and it will also give me chance to handle some night classes. There will be no differences with the compensation though. In fact, it will be 10 bucks short but that's okay. I believe, I will get a higher guarantee of getting fully booked everyday because of the late schedule. And the feeling of the workload is not so heavy since it's just five hours compared to the six hours. I hope I made a good decision on that.

I don't normally inform my avid students about my new schedule. The first schedule was unnoticeable since it only revolves on almost the same time slots. So, no information on that. Only a little later when some students asked whether or not I teach at night. But with this second change, I already informed one because he also informed that he might not be able to reserve me. Thus, making me inform him about my new schedule. And I guess, he had some high hopes on seeing me again. (#^o^#)

Again, I do hope that I made a good decision on the new schedule. I have to adjust on this drastically because it's a whole new change. I hope I can deal with that.

As of now, my current schedule is blah. I get a lot of unreserved times, which is very bad, except on weekends.

And with that, let me take my break. See you!

The Weather

One of my students today showed a scenery of his backyard.

It's like looking at a postcard. Don't mind the face.

If I could just go through the video cam to my student's backyard, I'd endure the cold just to escape today's humidity.

Weather is the common icebreaker that I always use to start my lessons. I get bored using it but it still doesn't fail to spark the interests of my students. Ironically, for today, it sparked on me.

My usual spiel goes like this:

How about in your area? What's the weather there today? ^_^

A Different Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day in the Philippines is an important celebration of LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Though it's not a national holiday, it's a day where people share or confess their love to their family, sweetheart, spouses, friends, and to people who they really care about. You will know everyone's at it because they will greet you "Happy Valentine's Day" or "Happy Hearts' Day" and other similar greetings. There are also many heart stuffs everywhere, not only in the malls and restaurants, you can also see them in some classrooms or offices. Radio stations and local TV channels also showcase Valentine greetings. It's not really big like Christmas or New Year, but because of LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, that's what it makes it BIG.

However, in Japan, it's quite different. I'm always excited to know how they celebrate holidays and events. That's why I would always ask students what they think about it or what they do during that day--just like what I did last Christmas and New Year. So for this time, the Valentine's Day.

Some students say that Valentine's Day is the day for young girls-- in elementary to high-school-- to confess their feelings to the guy who they like. And they wait for the response on White Day, which is on March 14th, which is a day for the guy's turn to return the chocolates that they received on Valentine's Day or to give a response to the confessed feelings of the girl. Sounds weird right? Why not respond to it on the same day?

I found an article from Japan Today's Lifestyle section that tells also about Valentine's Day in Japan. Let me write it for you here:

Lots of chocolate, but little love on Valentine’s Day in Japan

Ah, Valentine’s Day. That most romantic of times is just around the corner. That means roses and chocolates, right?

Wrong. Guys, take note. If you get lots of chocolates from women in your office on Valentine’s Day, don’t get the wrong idea. They don’t all love you. They might not even like you. It’s probably “giri-choco” (obligation chocolate), a custom that bemuses foreigners (and foreign media) each year at this time.

Love has very little to do with Valentine’s Day in Japan, and it’s been that way for a long time.

So who took the love out of the day?

The confectionery companies, of course. Morozoff reportedly introduced Valentine’s Day to Japan in 1936 and again in 1952, but Mary Chocolate claims to have got the ball rolling in 1958, which is the first time, according to the company, chocolate was sold in Japan for Valentine’s Day. The gifts were promoted as “lover’s day” treats at a counter in Isetan department store in Shinjuku. But marketers quickly realized that Japanese men did not have a tradition of giving chocolates to their sweethearts, so they hit upon the idea of promoting the day as an occasion when women could give chocolates to the men in their life.

But then they took it a step further. Since each customer buying chocolates for one boyfriend or husband wouldn’t result in many sales, they packaged Valentine’s Day as a way to show appreciation for all the men in a girl’s life, including male coworkers. Nowadays, it’s not unusual for some women to buy a small chocolate for each guy in her office.

However, love hasn’t been completely abandoned on Valentine’s Day. Besides “giri-choco,” there is “honmei-choco” for the real thing.

How popular is the custom, anyway? In 2010, online researcher Macromill polled working women on their attitudes toward giving chocolates. Of the 515 responses from Japanese women aged 20-39, 78% said they always buy chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Of them, 71% give chocolates to their husbands and/or boyfriends, 48% to their bosses, 44% to male family members and 37% to coworkers. The two most common reasons for continuing the custom of “giri-choco” were: “It contributes to smooth communication in the workplace” and “It will get me a better evaluation at the company.”

Now, lest you think all this is unfair for women, the marketing gurus, in all their wisdom, then came up with White Day on March 14 — meant to be an occasion when men reciprocate with something sweet. The origins of White Day are also open to debate, but the custom can be traced back to 1965, when it was introduced by a marshmallow manufacturing company to drive up sales of its sugary product. By the 1980s, white chocolates replaced marshmallows as the preferred gift, but since then, candy, flowers—even underwear—have become popular presents. Whatever the item, it is known in Japanese as “sanbai-gaeshi” (triple value) because it is supposed to be three times greater than the value of the chocolates the guy got on Valentine’s Day.

Whether it is “giri-choco or “honmei-choco,” Valentine’s Day is big business in Japan. According to the Chocolate & Cocoa Association of Japan, of the 406 billion in annual sales of chocolate in 2010, approximately 53% came during the month leading up to Feb 14. It is not unusual for confectionery companies to spend the bulk of their yearly marketing budget on Valentine’s Day.

Just as they do with Halloween and Christmas, retailers begin their Valentine’s merchandising campaigns well in advance, often in mid-January. From Feb 1 and even earlier, department stores, supermarkets and convenience stores set up huge red displays full of goodies. Some department stores, such as Takashimaya in Nihonbashi and Mitsukoshi in Ginza, for example, dedicate an entire floor to gift chocolates, with up to 50 brands represented. The stores predictably give their campaigns French names names like “Amour du Chocolat!” or “Mont d’Amour.”

In recent years, the European brands have conquered Japan. During their campaigns, department stores often bring the chocolate makers from Europe to be on hand to talk with shoppers and give chocolate-making demonstrations. Department stores also report that in recent years, there has been an increasing number of women who buy expensive chocolates for themselves, rather than for men.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/lots-of-chocolate-but-little-love-on-valentines-day-in-japan

From that article we would see a glimpse of the Japanese Valentine's Day. Not so romantic compared to here and more of an obligation for some. I asked some students if what day is romantic, they would say it's Christmas Day. I learned before (maybe I haven't talked about it last December) that Christmas Day is more of like a day for the couples, thus romance and sweetness is associated with that day and not so much on Valentine's Day.

Some curious students also asked me if we (Filipinos) celebrate Valentine's Day as a religious event. I told that though Valentine's Day is a commemoration of a saint we don't celebrate Valentine's Day as a religious event. It's a day where we commemorate the big L-O-V-E.

Others asked what would I do on this day or would I receive any thing special, I told them that I would just work, work, work, thus a normal day for me. LOL

I always have fun talking with students about events, especially about events that are differently celebrated in Japan. They give me a tour about Japan with their experiences, opinions, and their practices. They even give me more information compared to online encyclopedias and books. This is indeed one of the perks working as an HBOET.

I'm still in the middle of my shift. I still have four more lessons to go, that means four more students to torment with the Valentine fever in me. hehehe

Happy Valentine's Day again! XOXO

You Look Good!

Recently, I have been putting my bangs up before it's getting longer. And because, I don't wash my hair everyday. LOL. When I do pin my bangs up, I get compliments from students. ^_^

Sometimes, it cannot be helped for us to get comfortable with the students. Especially those who always reserve us for their lessons. It's an icing on the cake to get compliments, especially if they empathize with your feelings. Of course, we're teachers, we still need to observe professionalism and not let our emotions rule out our lessons.

Setsubun

Today is Setsubun in Japan. It is a festival that marks the beginning of spring in the Japanese lunar calendar.

I don't know if Japanese still remember Setsubun as that. When I asked students about it they usually say they need to throw soy beans outside their houses to ward off the oni or demons. And they throw beans inside their houses to bring good luck inside. They also eat the same number of soybeans as their age. They say it'll bring you good luck. I'm still in the middle of my shift so I don't have the chance to ask a lot of students about Setsubun. To fill the gap, luckily, I found this article in Japan Today.

Chase the demons away with beans on Setsubun

By Yuko Watanabe

TOKYO —

Setsubun is the festival held on Feb 3, which traditionally marks the beginning of spring on the Japanese lunar calendar.

Temples and shrines across Japan stage various rituals at Setsubun, such as throwing beans, to drive away demons and bring happiness for the year. Some of the big shrines invite celebrities such as sumo wrestlers, actors and singers to throw beans at onlookers.

The men and women who throw the “fuku mame” (fortune beans) are called “Toshi-otoko” and “Toshi-onna,” and are selected based on their birth year according to the Chinese zodiac, so this year, anyone born in the year of the dragon has the right to throw beans at the festivals.

Usually, they throw roasted soy beans from the stage to the crowds who try to catch and eat them, believing that will bring happiness during the year. When throwing the beans, the people shout “Oniwa soto, fukuwa uchi” (Demons out! Good fortune in!). It is believed that eating the same number of the beans as one’s age is especially lucky.

Setsubun is not just for shrines; you can celebrate it at home as well. The father or the oldest man of the house plays the role of a demon with the mask, and the children throw beans at him, shouting “Oniwa soto, fukuwa uchi.”

Another traditional custom at Setsubun is eating “eho-maki,” which is a fortune sushi roll. It contains seven ingredients (dried ground shavings, cucumber, mushrooms, egg omelet, eel and pink colored fish powder), which represent the Seven Gods of Good Fortune.

When people eat the roll, they contemplate the lucky direction of the year ahead in silence, wishing for happiness. Eating the roll uncut signifies that your good relationships with others will not be cut. The lucky direction of this year is north-northwest.

Where to see Setsubun on Feb 3

1. Naritasan Shinshoji Temple/Bean-throwing at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

2. Asakusa-dera Temple

3. Rinnou-ji Temple/Bean-throwing starts at 2:45 p.m.

4. Ikegami honmon-ji/Bean-throwing starts at 3 p.m.

5. Hase-dera/Bean-throwing starts at 12 noon.

6. Zojo-ji/Bean-throwing starts at 12:30 p.m.

7. Okunitama-jinja/Bean-throwing starts at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

8. Toyokawa Inari Betsui-in/Bean-throwing starts at 2 p.m.

9. Inuyama Naritasan

10. Mamasan Guhouji/Bean-throwing starts at 2:30 p.m.

Taken from: Japan Today Lifestyle Section

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/chase-the-demons-away-with-beans-on-setsubun

One Year As An HBOET

I have officially turned one on teaching today. Yehey for me!

Contrary to what I promised my self last year, I was not able to make a hundred entries on this blog, not even half of a hundred. But that's okay. I shared some, maybe not the most, interesting findings about Japanese attitudes, cultures, and people.

I learned a lot from teaching. Even though, I believe, I have not yet improved to the fullest, but I can say that I have improved--my character, my flexibility, and of course, my multi-tasking skills. I have to say the last one because sometimes I do multiple things during the lesson. It goes to show whether or not I am paying attention or I can pay attention to students.

I guess the most important thing that I have realized and need to improve on is teaching super beginners and advanced students. I still lose control on teaching students with such levels. I still don't know what to do. And sometimes, I feel I am not a good teacher if they don't reserve me again. That's okay, though. I just have to try much harder than before.

I realized I have become quite popular a little bit that I have my own line of avid students that I expect and look forward. Sometimes, it's not a good thing because some students reserve me everyday that we have lost things to talk about. It's also good to have lessons with students who have reserved me on my first few weeks, who did not reserve me again for the succeeding stay. I guess I made a bad impression on them but when they reserve me again, especially that I am growing old with the school, they will be impressed with what I have become. I hope. It just go to show that they remember me and maybe, became popular that some long-time-no-see students want to try me again. :D

It has been a fruitful year. From the looks of it, I guess it'll be hard on quitting this job. If I do leave, I will miss my students, old and new, most especially.