"What the HECK is Going On Here..."

From time to time I have these "holy cow... how did I get here??" moments.

This past week 20 students from Evanston Township High School came and did a homestay in Niigata and attended the high school I went to. Included on this trip was my high school Japanese teacher and the mother of a friend who graduated my year (she continued to help and chaperone trips after her daughter graduated.)

It was really great to see these people again but it was so strange being on the "other side." I feel like I had a backstage all access pass to their trip here. I saw the preparation at the high school, the weeks of handouts I got about looking for homestays, the constant panic that the flu would break out and the American students wouldn't be able to come inside the school, and so on. I was even quizzed about what on earth these people would be interested in eating when they got here. I said "Probably anything that isn't uni (sea urchin), ikura (salmon eggs), or nattou (fermented soy beans)." The result was what I call "starter sushi," this is the salmon, cooked shrimp, cucumber roles, and tuna kinds. The familiar looking sushi. Then there were massive Japanese style sandwiches. (Which I assure you will get a whole post of their own eventually... they are so strange.)

The American students came and completely turned this quiet hard working Japanese school on it's head. The teachers were all terribly nervous with American students in their class "Do I teach in ENGLISH!?!" many of them asked each other. "No," I thought "because you don't really know English. At least, not enough to teach Japanese History" Usually following this someone would say just that, in Japanese though... and everyone would laugh.

The students were so excited that they could hardly be contained. They were screaming and poking their heads into classrooms. I even walked by some Japanese students peeking around a corner watching the American students eat lunch. It was like the Japanese students were on a safari watching some animals feed. They watched from a safe distance watching the Americans eat, laugh, yell, and curse at each other. "oooooo." and "aaaaaah." they'd say as the students would lift something with a chopstick and put it in their mouth with no struggle.

Japanese students that I have struggled so hard to get to answer "how are you?" in my class would suddenly be a chatty-kathy with these students.

It was fun. Really really fun. The most fun I've had since I started working here. Everyone was excited and shot full of excitement.

The final day some English teachers and I had a final goodbye dinner with my old Japanese teacher and my friend's mom (the chaperone.) We went to a nice Italian restaurant with them and shared a bunch of foods and some wine. We talked about teaching and learning and things like that. We reminisced about my high school days a bit. It was here that I realized "How the heck did I get myself to THIS point??"

I was sitting in an Italian restaurant...drinking wine...with my high school Japanese teacher and my friend's mom...in rural Japan. I'd swear it was a dream if I hadn't woken up 3000 yen poorer this morning.