As a class we do a lot of art work. Through my years teaching my students are so good at art! Why is this? Is it a generation thing, or are people wanting to learn a language seem to be good at art? Of course a lot of my students love anime, and drawing anime too. Middle school/high school students have their aptitude, and little kids have theirs. The lines that young students make are so bold. The older students finish their arts in perfection. I think art is deeply connected to language learning. It is a form of out put that assists in putting out what the students understand in Japanese. I am dealing with kids that want to sell their art on Etsy. I always look forward to their work.
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The other day I participated in a tea ceremony. This was my first time at a full on tea ceremony. It was the cherry blossom season tea ceremony. I was a little nervous, but sure to have a good time. I was so glad that I could celebrate the cherry blossoms. There isn`t much of a chance to celebrate something Japan in America, so I found a little joyfulness in this gathering. What I felt during and after the ceremony was that one can actually find Japan even in America. I know that in Japan it might be easy to find America. From all the imported culture and products from America. However, Japan with it`s complex culture, I feel like it is a little more difficult to find this in America.
As I looked back on this celebration with food, tea, and sweets, I thought that my teacher (the host) did a wonderful job putting everything together. Everything complemented each other, and gradually took me to my memory of being in Japan. What a wonderful thing to leave the ceremony with a sense of beauty and culture of Japan. I think this strikes the core of culture that it can transcend across countries, and it is still there. Why do little children`s art look so beautiful? I sat along my children student, and drew next to her. I looked over to the student`s art, and notice vibrant strikes of different colored crayons. You can`t quite make out what she is drawing, but nontheless the drawing is perfect in it`s own way. When I said your drawing is so pretty, prettier than mine she replies in a sweet tone, "yes, mine is prettier than yours!" Does the child know that her colors and lines are so beautiful? When did my drawing become so adult?
A lot of my students are so good at art. There seems to be two kinds of good in art. Good skill wise, or the undecorated beauty of art little children produce. Their art is so powerful and colorful. It makes me so happy everytime I sit down with a child to draw. Flowers are blooming. Spring is here. All throughout America there is crazy weather though. I always think when change of seasons come that nature doesn`t forget. When I saw the plums blossom this year I was struck with a feeling of happiness. The plums seems to have lots of fruites on them this year. Right when my mother visited my Wisteria flowered as well. They smell so good! I am wondering how big lavenders grow. I planted 2 lavenders in the beginning of this year. It has grown double the size of when I bought it. I see lavender bushes that are huge like 3 ft. I am wondering whether mine will be that big. I hope so! I still have the raised beds in my condo that I have to plant. I have to plant my patio plant family. Some herbs, flowers, and vegetables. This year will be an year of abundance.
I always wondered why people would spend hundreds of dollars on tea utensils. When I collected mine from Japan all of it (one complete set of tea bowls and other utensils) costed $1,000, which is pretty good for what I got. One day I got two tea bowls from my Japanese student, and it was so nice looking I put it in my tea dresser. Lately I was longing to make tea in that tea bowl. I took it out, and noticed that even if it was one of my favorite that I haven`t used it much. I had this image that you save the bowls that I like for when I host people. I asked myself why I do this. I soon realized that using the bit high end but the bowls that I like is what is going to give my tea making a bliss. Since then on I was looking at a little more expensive tea bowls online. I still have hesitation in buying tea bowls over $50, but I feel like I know the trick to making tea ceremonies and drinking tea magical.
I had the last lesson with a student I have worked with for 4 years. She was in 6th grade when we started, and is in 9th grade now. She has grown beautifully, and has acquired the Japanese language satisfactory. I look back on our work, and come to a state of sadness as we concluded our 4 year journey of Japanese learning. She was saying she might come back in the summer time, but I thought that I may never see her again.
At this point I wondered what as a teacher I stride to teach, and pass on to my students. First of all the language. This is a given. However, as students grow, and their abilities grow, there are things that become possible in the classroom. Like journaling, topic discussions, and writing prompts, etc. Through these topic/themed lessons I get to interact with students in different ways other than just teaching the basics of the language. I find that most of my students has great literary insights, and understanding of their environment. I hope that while saying farewell to my student that there are some aspects of my lessons that she can apply to her life, and carry with her. I tried ginger beer from Costco the other day. It is a non-alcoholic beverage. It has ginger and root beer in it. My roommate got it from Costco the other day. It has a ginger kick to it, but refreshing. I am hooked. Speaking of food, we have a few Japanese grocery stores around San Diego. They are mainly located in the Convoy area. I go to Mitsuwa, and NIjiya sometimes. The food is so so, but so expensive. I am surprised at how many foods in the store are made in America. Miso, rice, mochi treats. In Japan there is a trend of eating what is produced in the area. I always loved that idea. I wonder how that applies to foods at the international super markets. I know that some foods are imported from Japan. Frozen, then defrosted in the coolers where they are sold.
They have Japanese vegetables as well. I sometimes shop at these stores, but prefer shopping at the local grocery stores when I`m in America. It`s a little weird to think that I can get most Japanese food sold in Japan in America. Of course I do love my occasional mochi, or ramen:) I have always wanted to start a tea business, but never had the time to. If I could, I want to sell green tea blends, and some sweet ones. These and herbal teas are my favorite! Well, my sister is going to start a small tea business at the local farmer`s market where she lives. She lives in Nilo, Hawaii. She shares a 20 acre lot of land with two other families in a litter shelter she built herself. She is going to harvest tea from her land, and serve it with some sweets. This is exactly what I wanted to do about 10 years ago when I was living in Valley Center, CA. My mom and I wanted to start a tea farm, and moved there. It was a beautiful land. We gave it a shot, but didn`t see much success.
Now things have changed, and I am living in San Diego operating a language school. Who would have ever thought that I would be a Japanese tutor. I started studying language teaching for ESL. Most of my experience has been in ESL teaching. Although where I am makes total sense. Someone said that language proficiency can change someone`s life. If you learn how to speak English that much of a door into another world opens. For those less fortunate that might be the key to a happier life. I am proud of what I do, and can`t waite to meet new students. Well, my niece departed, and my Mom comes in for a visit. She is also from Hawaii. With her are two kids whom are also my niece and nephew that I met for the first time. They are both from Hawaii. Hesitant at first, but kids are a matter of warming up. Once they get to know you I am sure we will have fun. They are attending a karate tournament in Texas from Wednesday. The kids` names are Rick and Lilia. This is Rick`s first time to mainland us. I heard that even between mainland, and hawaii there are cultural differences. I am not sure how Rick is feeling about all this. He had his camera to take record of his whole trip.
My mom teaches karate in Hawaii. She also had a dojo (a karate classroom) in Japan. My mom and dad met through karate. After a while of absence my mom went back to it, and got her teaching license for it. She started teaching karate in Seto, Japan, and spent about 6 years teaching. She opened her dojo, and acquired some students, and her karate life took off. I took some lessons from her as well. Karate then became our family sports. All of my family member has done karate. A few of Japanese culture has made it`s way into my life, and those are tea ceremony, and karate. These practices has taught me the very important aspect of Japan, and what Japan means to me. Well, the two weeks my niece stayed with me is coming to an end tomorrow. She will be departing to Hawaii tomorrow morning. The two weeks didn`t go by too fast, and we had some quality time together. We had a tea time, went to go get her hair cut, went to go see colleges, cooked, and she got to sit in on my lessons. This trip made me think of a few things. It was such a nice change to have someone speak and understand Japanese be with me, and supporting me with my business. It made my vision a lot broader, and helped me understand what I really want from my business.
Senior year in high school is such an odd age. I was looking back at when I was in senior year in high school. I never thought that I would change so much going to college, and experience working here and there. Even then when I graduated from undergrad I didn`t have much of a vision of what I wanted to do with my life. Non the less, I took the chance of coming over to America, and continuing with my education. One thing lead to another, and here I am teaching languages. One thing was for sure on this niece`s trip that I know that my niece will grow even more in her life after high school, and beyond that. I just hope that I got to be the informative, and mature aunt that I want to be. |
Erika SogaHere are some insights and comments on bilingualism, and language education. ArchivesCategories |