Today at work we taught the 7th and 8th graders for the first time. It's fun because we get to use more English with them but I like working with the younger grades better because I am just naturally better able to control/teach/inspire them better. I think it's because I'm so energetic and silly, so it's easy to motivate young children whereas older children don't buy it. The first and second graders are SO cute. When you say "now we're gonna play a GAME!" they literally jump out of their seats and start jumping up and down and screaming "yayyyyyy!!"
Oh, that's another thing. Girls are kept young here. Everyone seems younger than they are. Even high school students--they don't seem to own their sexuality yet the way some American high-schoolers do. I think it's partially because pre-university Japanese student life is very strict and conservative (all schools have very conservative uniforms and many are gender-separate), and partially because the infantilization of women is a big thing here. Not a big fan of Japan's gender roles, but I'll save that rant for another day.
Then Carley and I went to the atom bomb museum. What a sobering and emotional experience, if it weren't for the hordes of elementary school students screaming and clamoring and in general not-appreciating (not that I blame them.) But in spite of that it was so eye-opening and definitely worth the ~$2.00 admission.(!) I love that I'm getting to the age where I can genuinely appreciate things. All the history and work involved in anything touristy: a building, an art museum, a natural wonder. I love learning about it. The survivors' stories made me cry, the glasses bottles melted into flat and contorted shapes by the heat of the blast made me gasp in awe, the pictures of keloid scars and other injury made me cringe. And maybe the most amazing part is ALL of the crane-chains/crane pictures/crane sculptures made by Japanese children. I can't fathom how much effort went into folding that many cranes. They take their crane-wishing seriously here.
Carley and I wanted to go to the Heiwa Kouen (Peace Park) but there were no signs to it (fail) so we ended up finding the Sanno Shrine and the one-legged torii that was near it. Just being in that area close to the hypocenter of the explosion is interesting in itself. 99% of what you see is rebuilt, because everything pre-1945 was absolutely obliterated in the explosion...except for a few things, such as the one leg of the Sanno torii which still stands.
We took the streetcar there and back. I'm not really scared to use it anymore, just hesitant to pay the 120-yen fee every time. How is there no monthly pass?! >:( I'm walking wherever I can because of that. 120 is a lot for one-way. That can buy me a lot at S-mart! :P
It's already the weekend! What a quick week. I hope they're not all this quick...or time will go here REALLY quickly. I have until July 24, and from July 24-August 15th I'll be traveling around Japan with Guy and Yoko! I'm excited for that. :)
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