Ms. Communication

One of my favorite things in life is having conversations with people. Just call me Ms. Communication. :)

But. I don't always communicate correctly. So miscommunication applies to me, too.

The other day, one of my students gave her self-introduction in English, and afterwards I said, "Haruka, I didn't know that your mother is Mexican!" I'd spent most of her speech trying real hard to find the Mexican resemblance. Hmm, she looks Japanese to me.

The English teacher looked at me, and was like, "What?? She didn't say that." So we had Haruka give her speech again. Turns out that if it's not enunciated correctly, "My birthday is May second" sounds A LOT like "My mother is Mexican." Who knew?

So. I don't always understand English -- let alone Japanese! While my Japanese has gotten gradually better over the past two years and I can have basic conversations & understand quite a bit, talking with kids is a different story.

I teach some of the most adorable elementary school students you've ever seen, I really do. Here, let me prove it...

Love the skirt/red bow t-shirt outfit!

Yellow hats. :)

Hello there.

You'd think that conversations with kids would be the easiest. However, they almost always have a lot to tell me. And they almost always say it reallysuperfastbecause they'reexcited!

I try my very best to understand. But all I get sometimes is Danasenseiwasorokaraaisukinagonanisawogaohijodas desu ka??

(The "desu ka" at the end makes it a question. Which means they're looking for an answer. Which means I'm in trouble.)

I usually reply with, "Let's play!" :) Or "yes." But that could be dangerous.

It really bothers me that I don't understand everything they say because I just KNOW that it's something funny/cute.

Like the boy who told me that his favorite phrase in English is...

"This is pen, this is a pen!" which he said over and over as he walked down the hall. Ha.