A DAY AT A MIDDLE SCHOOL

MINASAN, KONNICHIWA!!
THIS MEANS HELLO CHILDREN!!! IN OKINAWA, WHERE I AM STAYING NOW THE KIDS LOVE TO SAY "HISI!" THIS IS A FRIENDLY TERM FOR SAYING HELLO. YESTERDAY I WAS IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL ALL DAY AND I SAID HISI TO EVERY CHILD I SAW. THEY ALL LAUGHED AND LAUGHED AND GAVE ME THE PEACE SIGNS. THE DAY AT MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS GREAT!! I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. MOST OF ALL, I SAW HOW THEY RESPECT THEIR TEACHERS. CHILDREN STAY IN THEIR SEATS AT ALL TIMES. WHEN A TEACHER WALKS IN, THEY ALL STAND AND SAY "SENSAY, O- HI - O!" THIS MEANS HELLO, TEACHER. THEN THEY SIT DOWN AND THE LESSON STARTS. CHILDREN DO NOT CALL OUT, SAY DISRESPECTFUL THINGS TO THEIR TEACHERS OR TALK WHEN THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO. WE WILL START PRACTICING HOW TO ACT LIKE JAPANESE STUDENTS WHEN I GET HOME!!!! SPORTS ARE VERY POPULAR IN JAPAN AND ALMOST EVERY CHILD PARTICIPATES IN A SPORT AFTER SCHOOL. I ATE LUNCH WITH A GROUP OF 8TH GRADERS. AFTER LUNCH THE TEACHER LEFT FOR HIS BREAK AND THE STUDENTS WERE ALONE. SOME TALKED, SOME SLEPT AND MOST PLAYED CARDS. I TAUGHT GIRLS HOW TO PLAY "WAR" AND ANOTHER GAME CALLED "DOTS". THEY TAUGHT ME SOME CARD GAMES, TOO. EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH AND I DIDN'T SPEAK JAPANESE, WE STILL COMMUNICATED AND HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME. WE LAUGHED AND LAUGHED. ONE GIRL SAID, "YOU KNOW HANNAH MONTANA?" I SAID YES AND SHE SMILED AND SMILED AND TOLD ME SHE LOVED HER. I DID NOT EAT THE LUNCH, IT DID NOT LOOK VERY APPETIZING. THE KIDS TOLD ME IT WAS A HAMBURGER, BUT I NEVER SAW A HAMBURGER THAT LOOKED LIKE THAT. AFTER LUNCH THE KIDS CLEANED THE FLOORS, THE WINDOWS, THE DESKS, BATHROOMS, HALLWAYS, EVERYTHING, JUST LIKE IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOU HAD TO CLEAN EVERYTHING IN OUR SCHOOL? WOULD YOU LIKE THAT?? I DON'T THINK SO!! THE DAY WAS SO MUCH FUN!!

WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE HOTEL I WENT OUT TO DINNER WITH SOME FRIENDS. WE WENT TO A RESTAURANT WHERE THEY DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AND THE MENU WAS IN JAPANESE. WE ALSO HAD TO TAKE OFF OUR SHOES AND SIT ON THE FLOOR. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DID IT, BUT WE MANAGED TO ORDER FOOD. I WANTED STEAK. MY FRIEND SAID TO THE WAITER, "MOOO- MOOOO". HE UNDERSTOOD AND BOUGHT ME STEAK. IT WAS NOT LIKE OUR STEAK, BUT IT WAS TASTY. WE LAUGHED AND LAUGHED AND LAUGHED. I AM SURE THE WAITERS WERE THINKING: "THESE CRAZY AMERICANS!!" IT WAS THE BEST NIGHT!!!!