Sometimes the classroom feels more like a zoo

Obviously you know that people in Japan and America speak different languages.
(Trust me. I still come up against this fact daily.)

But maybe you didn't know that the animals speak different languages, too.

For instance...

• A cow in America goes "moo." But a cow in Japan apparently says "moe."
• A pig in America goes "oink oink." But a pig in Japan says "boo boo." (in a low, grunting way, not a ghost-like way.)
• A dog in America goes "woof woof." But a dog in Japan says "won won."
• A cat in America goes "meow." But a cat in America says "neow."
  
  Hmm, the cat languages seem to be pretty similar. I bet that American cats and Japanese cats can communicate with each other just fine. But would they get along? Or would they fight like cats and....cats? ;)

I have a lot of fun doing lessons about animals/animal sounds at elementary schools. The kids seem to find it just as fascinating as I do that the animal sounds I was taught are different from the ones they've learned.

Second grade students at Taiyama Elementary on Monday. They had to act out different animals, and it sounded like a zoo!

After doing the animal lesson, I was thinking about how all pictures/sketches of animals in Japan are super cute! It's true. And then I started thinking about my lack of drawing skills, and how if I tried to draw a frog on the spot, it would look more like E.T. Sooo...I spent some time on Tuesday (more time than I really care to admit) looking at pictures of animals and creating my own style. Here are the final versions of nine different animals...

So now if you ask me on the spot to draw a monkey, I can do it. :)

(However, if you ask me draw a chicken--or any other animal that I didn't practice--I'm afraid it will still be unrecognizable.)

Looks like cats and dogs can get along after all.

Here's a little story involving the cute second grade student on the right, holding the cat picture:

(This conversation was all in Japanese.)

Second grade teacher to me (during lunch time): What will you do when you are done teaching in Japan in August?

Me: I love to travel, so I will go somewhere else.

Teacher: Ooooh, where will you go?

Me: I don't know. (Looking out the window at all the snow.) Somewhere with warm weather!

Cute second grade student (who I didn't know had been listening) pipes up: Mexico???

Me: Chuckling. Ok, sure. Let's go to Mexico together! How about right now!?

Cute second grade student: Sorry, I can't. My birthday is next week. *said in matter-of-fact voice.*

:)