Typhoon Number 2

Welps, I'm starting to realize that everytime a typhoon blows through here I can't make a big announcement of it on this blog, because its going to get mighty repetative. We had numba two this last weekend, but actually it would be number 14 since the start of this year - just number two for us new ALTs. It was suggested to me that I take a picture through one of my windows, and I realized this wasn't a shabby idea! This was the best pic I got, on Sunday when it had hit us the hardest:

This particular typhoon swept across Kyushu in particular, which is the part of Japan where I live. Miyazaki prefecture was hit the hardest, with winds so powerful a train was actually derailed off its tracks, and I've heard that there were some deaths - though I'm not sure how many nor from what. Everyone here keeps saying how lucky Sasebo was that we didn't get hit too hard. LUCK O' THE CANUCKS!!



I took this picture because for some reason, after sun-down, the sky changed into this colour. I couldn't figure out why or what caused it, it was eeriely pretty.



So Monday was a day off, thanks to "Respect for the Aged Day" (they actually honour that here, whaddya know! Senior citizens don't dissappear in Japan, what a marvel). Hitoshi's girlfriend, a lovely girl named Jenny, is visiting him for a couple of weeks from Korea, and so we all met up downtown to do some....hanging about. I took their pictures, but it neither one do they both look good, so I'll post them both and you can just piece their collective cuteness together in your brains. On the right, Hitoshi going, "What the-"

On the left, Jenny doing some eyeball re-moistening.

We later met up with Ben and Nicola, who you might remember from English camp, and we did some wandering around. At one point we made a rocking trip to the dollar store (which are absolutely amazing here), and I had my favourite Engrish experience so far:
"DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY time flow slowly when is with the puppy"
Aaaaaaah we got a good chuckle outta that one.

While we were downtown we were all keeping our eyes peeled for our students, considering that if you're not on alert, they tend to ambush you in small packs and giggle until things get far too awkward. Which is...pretty much every time. We were all reporting back to each other the numbers of students we ran into that stopped us, and I won that day, with 3 ambushings and about 8 (or 9, they're tricksy) students coming at me. Crimeny I never know what to say, aside from "How are you? Are you shopping?" because they can't speak English! So after we stand there awkwardly for a few minutes I've just started waving with a 'okay see you at school!' to end it. Harsh maybe, but no choice.

So today I taught "my" lesson for the first time with the first-year students, and it actually didn't go down in flames! Because the lesson is on conveying emotion through stress and intonation in English, I get to be very expressive in the lesson - which keeps the kids' attention. Especially when I show them what anger sounds like. *laughs* They get to see what I would look/sound when I'm pissed off, without actually being pissed off, its perfect! Hopefully they'll think of my angry voice when they try and pull anything in the future. Well...I can dream, can't I?

I got a visit from the woman who will be my Japan teaching-partner at the school for deaf students on Friday. She's a lovely lady, who seems very sweet. At the school where I'll be going on every other Wednesday, there are IN TOTAL about seven kids, whose hearing ranges from poor to zilch. Their first language is Japanese sign language, then Japanese, and now English, and mostly they'll be watching my lips. They're English is quite low level though, so I'm trying to think of what self-intro game I could do that would be fun for 2-3 students at a time, and not at all difficult. Hmmmmmmumum.

English speeches are happening around now as well, and we have to pick which student will represent Sasebo Nishi. I'm going to be a judge actually, listening to speeches from all around Nagasaki prefecture. I'm kinda nervous, this is a big deal! I'm looking forward to it though, and I've enjoyed helping the students. I've helped them with their translation, and I'm really pushing the importance of the WAY they say the Japanese as well. I honestly cannot listen to a girl go on for five minutes about "Randmines". I refuuuuse.

The weather today is really lovely, clear and crisp - so far, fall in Sasebo is quite gentle! All of us from Canada are waiting for winter, none of us have yet quite believed that its going to be as bad as what we've come from. We shall just have to see.

SO, nothing all that interesting has/will be happening anytime soon I expect, but I'll try and keep this place updated with anything I figure y'all might like to know. Thanks for reading again, bye for now!