The K Experience

Teaching a subject that the students don't really want to learn doesn't always create the best classroom environment. Which is why it's nice to catch those same students somewhere else, just to see how they behave. On May 11th, and June 1st 2004 I decided to check out how my students (who were usually reading manga or sleeping) behaved in another class, cooking class...

Music, a big thing all around the world, but in different ways. The Shamisen was never something I thought I would see on the streets, but I guess that was only because I had never been to Japan...

Being an assistant language teacher in Japan, piece of cake right? Well everyone one knows that Japanese students are well behaved, studious, intelligent, obedient...all that stuff right...

It's 1820, and two residents of Fushiki town in Toyama prefecture, Japan are getting bored and restless.They want something to do, or more accurately, they want something to destroy.
(BFR= Bored Fushiki Resident)

BFR 1: "I've got it! Listen. Two carts, bunch of lanterns on each. We'll crash them into each other"
BFR 2: "Hmmm...em....what else you got?"
BFR 1: "Ok, ok...they'll weigh like, a ton each...a couple of tons."
BFR 2: "How the hell are we gonna move them, you would need, like, 50 people or something to push them."
BFR 1: "So? We'll get the whole town to do it. Ain't no one doing anything, it's 1820."
BFR 2: "So what it's 1820, people still work!"
BFR 1: "Well then... we'll do it at night. Oh come on you know it will be fun, we'll give them like 50 feet run ups. We'll find a couple of idiots and stick them on the front. It'll be great, trust me."
BFR 2: "Hmmm, sticking people to the front. I think you're on to something there pall."

So, I'm on my way to meet up with a group of JET friends on a Sunday night in July 04. I come down the train station stairs to catch my train and I hear the amazing sound of Mr Pedal Steel Man...