The weather kept everyone inside today There were no dolphin watching trips today, so I had a chance to stay inside and catch up on the little things; data crunching, equipment checks, etc. But I also managed to visit the local school to lend a hand with English lessons. The school’s English tea
cher, Tanaka-sensei, asked me to sit in on a few of his classes. The les
sons are over an hour long, and Tanaka-sensei is a whirlwind of English-speaking energy! I helped read the lessons out loud, and even sung along to Billy Joel’s Piano Man for part of the lesson. Good stuff! (practice for Karaoke). I was absolutely floored with how well the lessons are run – the students are very good, and Tanaka-sensei is amazingly well prepared! My jaw just about hit the floor when he said that some of the students have only been learning English since April! It is fun to get out in the community and get to know the kids on Mikura. I will try to make time to visit the school between my dolphin trips and data analysis. Oh, and I had my first chance to use the infamous Japanese toilet today… It was, to say the least, an interesting experience. To learn more about the modern Japanese toilet, follow this link: http://www.washlet.com/
I’ll keep my fingers crossed that I get a dolphin trip tomorrow!
-Justin